Ask anyone. Literally. Ask anyone who is in a relationship of any kind. Ask the professional who is attempting to meet demands and create success. Ask the couple who have been married for 30 years, 20 years, 10 years or 2 years. They will all tell you the same thing. By far, the most difficult and most common issue that I have encountered with leadership through the years is …communication. It crosses all levels of leadership and saturates every aspect of our lives. I was talking with a seasoned CEO who possesses both high IQ and EQ. He told me that he was working on this issue of communication with his executive team. He said, "I challenge our team to communicate early, often and with clarity." Now that is a great recipe for successful communication!
So many times we take the lazy way out by not being intentional with our communication. Instead of communicating early, we wait. Instead of communicating often we think once is enough and consequently go silent. Instead of creating clarity which takes thought and work, we allow ambiguity to drive our conversations. Strong communication is not a natural born trait, it is quite simply a decision.
Becoming a successful communicator is difficult, but so are successful relationships. I have learned that anything worthwhile generally takes work. Our relationships both personally and professionally are certainly valuable. It's time to own your responsibility to communicate to those you value.
Follow the advice of my friend DC and communicate early, often and with clarity. I promise it will make a difference!
Larry
P.S. Speaking of communicating…..This month we celebrate 20 years as a team at Eagle! We are truly thankful for the opportunity to speak into the lives of leaders across the world.
Just Ask
