Upskilling Your Leadership Communication Skills: 3 Areas to Focus On
Updated: Sep 23
by Stephanie Bickel and Michelle Davis
The expectations placed on leaders continue to evolve.
New technology changes how teams work. Employees collaborate across locations and time zones. Organizations adapt to new priorities, and leaders are expected to communicate clearly through it all.
How do you stay effective when the way you work keeps changing?
One answer is upskilling.
Upskilling means developing new capabilities or strengthening existing ones so you can meet the demands of your role. For leaders, communication is an important place to focus.
You may have strong technical expertise and years of experience, but your ability to explain ideas, build relationships, and influence decisions determines how effectively you put that expertise to work.
If you want to enhance your leadership communication skills, start with these three areas.
1. Become More Comfortable with Technology
You don't need to master every new platform. You do need to understand how technology can help you and your team communicate more effectively.
Consider the tools you use every day.
Are your meetings productive? Can team members easily find the information they need? Are you spending time explaining something that could be communicated more clearly through a short video or written update?
Look for opportunities to simplify how information is shared.
For example, you might:
Record a short video to explain a process or provide feedback.
Use a shared workspace to organize project updates and decisions.
Learn features in your video conferencing platform that make meetings more interactive.
Show a colleague how to use a tool that has made your own work easier.
Technology is most valuable when it helps people understand information, collaborate, and move work forward.
Choose one tool or feature that could improve communication on your team and commit to learning it.
2. Strengthen Your Virtual Communication Skills
Virtual communication has become a regular part of professional life. Yet connecting with someone through a screen requires a different level of intention.
Think about the experience you're creating for the person on the other side.
Can they see and hear you clearly? Are you looking toward the camera when making an important point? Does your voice communicate energy and interest?
Your physical presence, facial expressions, gestures, and vocal delivery all contribute to how your message is received.
You also need to consider how you engage people.
A virtual meeting can quickly become a one-way presentation if participants don't have opportunities to contribute.
Before your next meeting, consider these questions:
How will I establish a personal connection?
What do I want participants to understand or do?
Where can I invite questions or discussion?
How will I know whether my message was understood?
Prepare a strong opening, use people's names, and create space for interaction.
When you're leading a meeting, being on camera can help establish a connection. Be thoughtful about when video is appropriate, however, and recognize that participants may have different circumstances or accessibility needs.
The goal is to create an environment where people feel engaged and connected, regardless of where they're working.
3. Make Your Written and Spoken Messages More Effective
Everyone is managing competing priorities. Clear communication helps people understand what matters without spending unnecessary time sorting through information.
This is especially important when communicating with senior leadership.
An executive may need a decision, a recommendation, or a brief update. Your job is to identify the essential information and present it in a way that makes the next step clear.
Before sending an email or leading a meeting, ask yourself:
What is the most important thing this person needs to know?
Then organize your message around that answer.
For example, instead of sending a lengthy project update that describes every activity your team completed, lead with the outcome:
We're on track to complete the project by Friday. We have one outstanding decision regarding the final deliverable, and we need your approval by Wednesday.
That message establishes the current position, identifies what matters, and makes the request clear.
You can apply the same approach to meetings.
Prepare a strong opening, keep the discussion focused, and close with clear next steps.
Afterward, send a concise follow-up that identifies decisions, responsibilities, and deadlines.
These habits help you communicate with greater efficiency while giving others the information they need to act.
How Will You Improve Your Leadership Communication Skills?
Upskilling doesn't require you to change everything at once.
Think about the communication demands of your current role and where you want to grow.
Perhaps you need to become more comfortable using technology, strengthen your presence in virtual meetings, or communicate more concisely with senior leadership.
Choose one area and identify an opportunity to practice it this week.
As your responsibilities evolve, continuing to develop your leadership communication skills will help you adapt, connect with others, and contribute more effectively.
Continue Improving Your Leadership Communication
Strong leadership communication develops through practice. Whether you're navigating a difficult conversation, presenting to executives, or guiding your team through change, the way you communicate shapes your impact.
Continue your communication growth with these Speak by Design resources:
Listen to the Speak by Design Podcast
Get practical leadership communication strategies, real executive coaching examples, and tools you can apply in your next meeting, presentation, or conversation.
Read the Speak by Design Book
Discover the communication frameworks leaders use to earn trust, increase influence, and make their messages memorable.
Ready to accelerate your communication growth?
Speak by Design University is a comprehensive leadership communication experience that combines private coaching, live workshops, and practical tools designed to help you communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and influence.
