The edge that AI can give you in your communications as a leader is no secret. I use it to draft emails, refine the tone of my message and help me respond in tricky situations, and know the leaders I work with do the same.
But, as useful as AI is for this, communicating is still complex and nuanced. Regardless of the tools you use to help you lead, your effectiveness as a leader is still connected to being human. While AI is fantastic for helping prepare words to deliver, it still can’t sit down in the room and actually deliver them in meaningful ways that help you build relationships. Ultimately the relationships you build (or not) will impact the quality of your leadership.
Your reputation as a leader and your workplace (or other) relationships are built over time based on how you interact. Some of that interaction may be written which gives space for thought and possible AI support, but much of your interaction is going to take place in the moment – and the quality of that depends on your way of being in the moment.
Think of your average interaction taking place in real time. How do you respond as someone asks you a question? How do you respond as someone asks for help? How do you deliver difficult news?
You listen, you process, you interpret meaning, tone and emotions, that triggers your own thinking, emotions and physical responses – and then you try, in a very short amount of time, to come up with a way to respond. Hopefully in a way that conveys the message you want.
Let’s face it, your responses to someone in one of the situations above may not always be perfect, but it is human and it’s being human that is going to help you build the relationships you need to lead your team or get to where you want to in your career. AI can help you prepare the words to use but as a leader you don’t always have the opportunity to be prepared. Whether you’re in a meeting or having a one on one, you need to be able to respond in the moment.
Yes, at times, your humanness may also damage relationships and that is where you can work to ensure you are able to be the best you can be in the moment. This is about your ‘Way of Being’
Way of Being
Our way of being can be described as how we are in ourselves in the moment. The way we are in the moment impacts the way we communicate with and respond to others. Are we calm, grounded and ready to communicate, or are we anxious and unsettled, which makes it difficult to communicate well.
The way you show up won’t always be perfect. You may react to others out of habit or impulse in ways that are not helpful. But, the good news is that you can adapt and shift your way of being while still being an authentic human – and perfect or not, this is what makes you who you are.
The best way I know to prepare for these moments is not by turning to AI, but by building self-awareness. Not being perfect doesn’t mean you need to change who you are, but as an imperfect human you are capable of becoming more aware of how you show up. Once you have awareness, it opens up possibilities for change.
Taking the time to look at yourself, noticing how you respond in the moment and being open to making changes will help you increase your effectiveness as a leader.
Carole helped me see different options for communicating, I learned to notice assumptions, take a pause and let things go that are not that important. The most valuable thing in the coaching for me was to learn to think and reflect about my options.” Mel – Hong Kong
Three good places to start are:
- Notice your inner chatter:
What are you saying to yourself as you work with your team? Are you there in your mind to support them, direct them, guide them or whatever needs to be done? If your mind is not aligned with your intentions, it makes it hard to respond well to someone else in the moment.
- Notice your Mood
Is there a background mood getting in the way. If you’re feeling strong emtions about something (even if its unrelated to the particular situation) it makes processing and interpreting messages even harder and impacts how you’re likely to respond.
- Notice your body posture
Your body posture not only impacts how others see you, but impacts how you feel about yourself. If your body posture is not supporting you to feel confident, listen or empathise where you need to, it makes it harder to respond confidently.
AI is a fantastic tool for supporting you as you lead and communicate with your team, clients and stakeholders, but it doesn’t replace the value of developing a self-awareness about your own way of being. This is what will give you the real edge.
Read more about how Executive Coaching transforms the way you communicate as a leader.
Contact me if you are interested in exploring how you can be a more effective communicator.
Photo by Bekky Bekks on Unsplash
