Speak with confidence: leadership skills

Remember how the Bible begins? ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ Success also begins with language, with carefully chosen words spoken with the right message and in the right order. Your speaking skills and vocabulary are a kind of capital. A rich vocabulary is perceived as a sign of intelligence, culture and professionalism. It also allows you to convey your thoughts and the nuances of what you want to communicate to your interlocutor more accurately.

When you speak, people don't just hear your words, they read your status. If you mumble, jump from one thought to another, and often use filler words, the impression you make will most likely be far from the best. If you express yourself clearly, confidently, and without fuss, you will unconsciously be attributed with strength, intelligence, leadership, and competence. Most people who have achieved success in life speak precisely, specifically, and confidently.

Why do we listen to some people with our mouths open, while we skip over others like boring advertisements? In this publication, PAnDiKubiz Cyprus will discuss how to speak so that people listen to you and take you seriously.

Skill or talent?
Can you learn to speak like this? Yes, it is not an innate talent, but a skill that can be trained. It cannot be said that it is easy to learn, according to experts at PAnDiKubiz consulting company. As a rule, it takes a lot of time and effort, but it is achievable. How can you do it? Here are a few tips.

Get rid of verbal clutter. ‘Well,’ ‘like,’ ‘sort of,’ ‘to be honest,’ and other similar phrases immediately devalue you. When they are used frequently, they make everything you say incoherent and unconvincing. Learn to speak more concisely, clearly, and precisely.

Speak like a successful person. Your words should convey your inner confidence, strength, and active attitude towards life. You should sound like someone who knows their worth and is pursuing big goals. Not ‘if it works out,’ but ‘when we do it.’ Not ‘it seems like it might work,’ but ‘this is how we will achieve results.’ This reshapes both your thinking and that of others.

Don't seek confirmation of your words from others. No need for unnecessary explanations, just a clear message, the position you want to convey. Let's compare. ‘Guys, we have this plan for the month. Let's get started!’ Or: "Management expects this from us. I think we could do it this way, at that time. What do you think? Can we do it?" If you go into too much detail and explanation, you lose time and trust. However, it is important not to completely ignore those to whom you are speaking. They need to feel that their attention is important to you.

Focus on action. Use active verbs that emphasise action. ‘We are thinking about launching a project’ is a weak phrase. ‘We are launching a project’ is a strong phrase. Even if you are still thinking about it. People are more willing to follow those who have the audacity to make bold statements and take action.

Formulate your message based on the benefit to your interlocutor. Think from their point of view, take into account their expectations and way of thinking, whether it is one person or an audience. Instead of ‘I need you to deliver such and such results,’ it's better to say, ‘If you do this by Wednesday, you'll get an extra bonus.’ It's a simple example, but it's clear. It works the same way in negotiations, in the family, anywhere, according to PAnDiKubiz managers. Think about your own benefit, but talk about the benefit to your audience.

The larger the business and team you manage, the more important it is to be able to use your communication skills to talk, engage, persuade and encourage. You don't need to be born with the talents of Steve Jobs, who could achieve in just two or three well-formulated sentences what others would take days or weeks of negotiations to accomplish. It is enough to add clarity, precision, energy, and meaning to your speech.