Course Information

Business Communication. Sharpen your communication skills.

This communication skills short course for leaders offers practical training for those who want to take their impact to the next level. With every email you write, speech you give, or conversation you initiate, you have the opportunity to lead and inspire your peers, teams, boards of directors and financial backers. In this course you will learn the communication techniques that separate a good leader from a great leader; discover how to attract followers and share your vision; and inspire your team to deliver peak performance.

We will consider what inspiring leadership looks and sounds like in practice, how simple shifts in body language can alter how you are perceived, and the way different communication styles can be harnessed to inform and influence.

This course will empower you to:

• find your personal identity as a leader
• lead with purpose and passion
• connect with your direct reports
• engage, persuade, inform and influence your team
• initiate difficult conversations and lead through discomfort
• speak with purpose and command the physical space.

This course is suitable for managers, team leaders, entrepreneurs and those in a leadership role who want to build trust, grow influence, improve their self-awareness and create better relationships with their teams.

Aims

This course aims to help you:

• find a leadership style that is authentic to you
• remove barriers to building trust
• learn how to listen effectively
• establish credibility, influence and authority
• project confidence and grow positive perceptions
• share your vision
• boost your leadership presence.

Outcomes

In this leadership skills training course, you will:

• develop your identity as a leader
• improve your leadership communication skills, and enhance how your leadership is perceived
• learn to speak, use your body movement and gesture – like a leader
• enhance leadership competency and ability to inspire
• reflect on the leaders you’ve respected and those who have failed to lead
• write a leadership ‘manifesto’.

Content

This course will utilise the following framework:

Define your leadership + listen and speak with influence + build confidence = an inspiring leader

The first part of the course will focus on defining your leadership. We’ll consider:

• What a good leader is
• Attributes of modern leadership
• Developing an authentic leadership style
• Excellence in leadership
• Ethics and principles
• Shifting to a giving mindset
• Writing your leadership manifesto

The second part of the course will delve into listening and speaking with influence. This will include:

• How to listen like a leader
• Active listening
• Respecting others like a leader
• Communication blind spots
• Understanding psychological safety

The third part of the course will focus on building confidence. We will practice:

• Body language and vocal performance
• Initiating difficult conversations
• How to handle tough leadership situations
• How to give and receive feedback
• Communicating good leadership in everyday workplaces
• Language strategies

Intended audience

Suitable for both experienced and emerging leaders in a managerial or leadership position, who are responsible for setting the tone with team members. We will consider communications challenges in a range of different workplace scenarios, including business emails, running team meetings, giving one-on-one feedback, and presenting to an audience.

This course is suited for leaders who want to improve the way they communicate with their teams with the goal to move from functional interactions to ones that inspire, influence and solidify leadership. Participants are encouraged to come to the workshop having reflected on the leaders they have admired, as well as those who have failed to lead, to aid discussion during the day.

Prerequisites

None

Delivery style

Interactive workshop which includes facilitator training, in-class exercises, and workshop-style activities.

Delivery mode

Face-to-face, presenter-taught training 

Materials

All course materials are provided electronically (via Dropbox). Printing services are not provided. Please bring laptop or iPad, and pen and paper.

Recommended reading

Brown, Brene. (2013). Daring Greatly. Penguin.

Clear, James. (2018). Atomic Habits. Random House.

Covey, Stephen. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster.

Fisher, Roger; Ury, William. (2012). Getting to Yes. Random House.

Lencioni, Patrick. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Jossey-Bass.

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them And People Will Follow You. Harper Collins, 2021.

Sinek, Simon. (2017). Leaders Eat Last. Penguin.