Leadership Through Conversation

When it comes to the heart of the matter, effective leadership is not about being domineering or authoritative. It boils down to how well you communicate with your team, with your juniors and with your organization. Leadership development is not an event – it is a continuous process. One in which you help in the personal development and growth of your colleagues through respectful conversations. This ultimately leads to the growth of your organization. You are essentially trying to build a safe and trusting relationship with your colleagues. There are a few points you need to remember when trying to get into a conversation with your colleagues:

Give the person his/her space. Don’t try to force the pace of the conversation. Some people like to take their time talking. That doesn’t mean you waste time on small talk. Try to steer the conversation the right way, but let your colleague determine the pace.

You shouldn’t try to structure your conversations. Conversations are not meant to be structured. Be open to conversations that you are unprepared for.

Don’t conduct search and solve operations for problems as soon as you get down to talking. As I said earlier, people usually take time to get down to really important issues. Try to be a thoughtful listener without trying to fix or debate the issue – at least initially.

And remember: if you are looking for personal transformation in your colleagues, try not to provide the answers to their questions. Give them a chance to answer their own questions – this will help them realize what is needed to help them move forward. And when you help transform one person after another, your organization moves ahead.