As a leader who values every second of the day, you probably prefer talking over texting or writing, don’t you? Speaking directly will save you more time and energy while conveying your messages better. Thanks to the rapid development of technology in today’s autonomous world, features such as video call and voice call are a great help when you are unable to communicate face to face with others.
Yet, do you know that as simple as writing an email, text or journal can help you become a better version of yourself? Even better, it can help you become a better leader.
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Many said that communication is the language of leadership. By communicating effectively and conveying messages precisely, you can help your team better in doing their tasks. While leaders are often better at oral conversation, writing can actually remove the gap between problem and solution that you want to deliver. Jennifer Davis, a business writer from Best British Essays, emphasised that “as a leader, the precision of your writing can inspire your way along with your communication. It helps things done, increases productivity, and motivates your team, telling them all that you are in a ‘go, go, go’ work mode.”
So, how important is writing for a leader? The answer is obvious, it is very important.
Not only does writing help you convey messages when you cannot meet certain individuals, writing can also improve your leadership skills. John Hall, the co-founder at calendar.com, claimed that writing every day helped him become a competitive leader. While he might not be a good writer, during the process of writing he noticed that he gradually becomes a better leader. By writing as simple as jotting down memos consistently, you can improve your sense of self and organise your priorities. Writing can also help strengthen communication skills as well. If you cannot share your ideas clearly and effectively, Hall suggested, then writing will help you understand the connotations of your words. In turn, you can build a better connection with leads and peers.
Ben Baran, an assistant professor of management at Cleveland State University, agreed that writing can shape leader to be a better version of themselves. According to Barn, writing can focus your thinking, promote reflection through focused writing, enhance mood, as well as enhance story to better articulate present situation or what needs to be done.
Other than that, writing helps prevent stress from happening. A study cited that positive emotional writing process showed a significant reduction of anxiety and stress. Participants surveyed were reported to have high levels of social inhibition and low negative affectively. This implies that writing can help reduce stress level on leaders, resulting in a more healthy and effective leadership.
“In times of great stress or adversity, it is always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” – Lee Iacocca
How to excel your writing
As a leader, written expression will have a huge influence on others. Leader is a role model so minimising errors should be your concern. Therefore, here are some tips for you to deliver messages better.
The way you write to a 50 years old executive and to 24 years old millennials would affect their ability to perceiving your message. While you should show respect to both, older employees tend to appreciate formal messages. On the contrary, millennials would feel closer to their leader when their leader is able to convey meaning in an interesting yet understandable way. So, as best as possible, try to use language your people usually use.
Different from speaking, written expression can produce different meaning depending on how people read it. Therefore, to influence better, you should be able to crave good writing. There are tons of tools you can use such as Grammarly, Writing Populist, or My Writing Way to help you correct mistakes as simple as grammar. You can also check out essay services such as Huffington Post or UK Top Writers to acknowledge you better on how writing should be.
Either writing for a journal, post or message, as best as possible you should make it brief to core meaning and comprehensive even if you have a lot to say. Being precise, concise, as well as clear with what you want to deliver will save your and other’s time. It will also help your reader better at digesting your message.
Open book means you should put simple yet powerful words that will influence others. Commonly, good writers communicate in a simple, powerful, and honest way through their writing. Good leaders, in this case, should possess similar ability by writing an honest and open message such as what your mission, goals, and processes are.
Read also: 3 Important Aspects Aspiring Leaders Should Remember
