Anyone with an idea can create a start-up, and these days, it seems there are new companies launching on a daily basis. But if you think all it takes to be successful is a vision and funding, you need to read on.
To be a successful leader in business today you need to be an effective communicator. Whether you are the CEO, CTO or anyone who manages a team, it's your ability to effectively present your ideas and vision that will determine your ultimate success.
Diane DiResta, Founder and CEO of DiResta Communications, Inc., a New York City consultancy and author of Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, shares 4 key skills every C-level exec needs to know to make an impact.
Public Speaking
Being an effective public speaker gives you a competitive advantage. What differentiates you and your company from any other is your presentation. As a leader in the C-Suite, your job is to inspire, influence and lead through your vision. If your presentation isn't matching your title’s level, it creates a disconnect, and people won’t be inspired to follow your lead. One of the challenges in tech is losing that personal touch. Interpersonal skills and relationships are vital, especially with the generation of millennials. If you are simply communicating through mass emails and text messages, you are not providing the role model they need. As a CEO you want to be seen and heard, you want to get out there in front of people connecting one-on-one and one-on-group.
If distance is an issue, use technologies such as Skype because it’s important that your team can see you. Make eye contact and know when to pause to allow for delay.
Translating Complexity into Simplicity
This is critical: smaller, simpler words and simple language have more impact. Often, people will lose their audience because they are speaking in a too-technical, too-formal or too-detailed way. They get caught up in the science and technology of their products and services and lose the connection with the audience. Even worse, the main message gets mired in the details and the technicalities in the language. So make it straightforward, make it clear, and aim for 8th grade language in your communication because simplicity is powerful and impactful. Use analogies and metaphors in order to simplify complex and convoluted content so that everyone can understand it.
Storytelling
When you are trying to influence people and gather a following, a compelling story is a powerful tool. It’s all about engagement. When you have a story to tell, people become engaged in that story. One reason why Steve Jobs was able to gather a large following was because he didn’t simply say “we make computers,” there was a story behind his work, he was about thinking differently. Stories also help you differentiate your brand and engaged an audience. It’s not just about the product or the software or the machinery, it’s about something more. How did it come to be? What problems are you solving? How is your product making the world a better place?
Sharing the Vision
If a CEO doesn't have a clear vision, the company is going to falter. But even with a vision, if you can't convey it to your workforce you are going to have difficulties. Your vision is a way of embracing, engulfing, and engaging your workforce. The CEO needs to be able to convey that vision in a way that’s exciting, yet clear and compelling, especially when competing for workers in a competitive market. You need to live and breathe your mission.
