This overlooked skill will make you a more impressive leader Businessman

Every book about the book and the educational program emphasizes the same basic skills: emotional intelligence, vision, communication and decision -making. One of one critical skills, however, rarely creates a list, although quietly but directly determines how well the leader’s message is understood, done and remembered: writing.

Do not write in a literary sense – such as craft novels or research work – but the type of writing that runs an organization. An e-mail that breaks the ambiguity and gets directly to the point, or the nationwide memorandum that inspires and informs. A strategic document so well that it eliminates the debate, clarifies the direction and creates a buy-in before the appointment.

This type of writing is the spine of leadership in the world, where more than half of the typical working week spends written communication – whether through e -mail, slack, messages, links to LinkedIn or formal presentations. Yet, despite the integral role of writing in the alignment, implementation and forming of communication at each level of the organization, the undervalued management skill remains.

Related: 7 reasons why all entrepreneurs should strive for better writing

Why leaders overlook writing as an important skill and why it is a mistake

Writing is often rejected as something that every professional skill shop already knows how to do it. However, executives are busy experts who are constantly tightening a million directions, and many of them think: scattered and disorganized. They create unnecessary confusion by writing the way they talk about how people read.

The cost of rejecting the effects of poor written communication is huge. Almost 9 out of 10 business leaders first experienced the contradictory impact of poor communication at work, where due to increased costs (45%), authorization of terms (39%), the brand’s reputation (34%) or reduced productivity (28%) erode.

Good writing does not require perfect grammar or eloquence, even if it helps. What is more important in writing is accuracy: To say exactly what to say, few words as it allows it, so that it leaves no space for incorrect interpretation.

The leaders who write well are doing better. Their teams do not waste time for second vision or need to watch instructions. While so many management is about how the right decisions are more dependent on ensuring that these decisions are understood, accepted and implemented. This combined, much more than most people realize about the power of written communication of the leader.

Related: Do you want to be successful? Write better. Here’s how.

How can leaders improve their Wring

For those who are in positions, it means effective writing of clarity, accuracy and impact. Here is the way the leaders can avoid misunderstandings, speed up the decision and manage the match through their written communication:

1. Pre-Write

The first step in improving writing is to improve your thinking before you start. If the message is not clear in your mind, you are not ready to distribute it to the audience. Before elaborating e -mail, notes or postponing, identify the central points of what you need to communicate:

• Who is my audience and what do they need to know?

• What is the most effective structure for presenting this information?

• What are the basic paths I need to understand the container?

• What understanding should it create?

• What is the best communication channel for this message (e -mail, slack, text, verbal comment, phone call or video meeting) based on urgency and complexity?

By clarifying your messages before you start writing, you will ensure that your communication is focused and without ambiguity.

2. Keep it brief without sacrificing clarity

Once the main idea is clear, another challenge is to intervene the right balance between brief and understanding. Many leaders fall into two extremes: overcoming their messages of inconsistencies of complexity and redundancy or excessively in confusion.

Dense, Žargon’s writing makes it difficult to earn key points. But being too short is the same as the problem. In a hurry he offered an e-mail with two a text message (for example “Let’s discuss it soon”) It may feel efficient, but in a sufficient context, it creates further work pressure on the work to ask questions about subsequent tracking, or, worse, incorrect that lead to mistakes.

Strong writing is brief, but complete, gets rid of everything that retains the message while maintaining the basic parts.

3. Provide your message to a clear structure

Writing without a structure is like talking without a break – ideas are blurring and the meaning is lost. The best writing leads readers effortlessly from one point to another.

To achieve this, every piece of writing should follow a clear hierarchy:

• Start with the main point: Readers should grasp the key Malalad of Immoredly, they do not have to look for it in the middle of a paragraph.

• Divide the information into clear sections: Use short paragraphs, bullets or headings to facilitate content scan.

• Ensure to have a logical procedure: Each sentence should naturally lead to another and help the reader watch your thought process without confusion.

Cloted, disorganized writing forces people to work harder to understand your message. And in the management, the harder the report is the less likely to manage the action.

4. Correctional and appropriately revision

The first proposal is rarely the best concept – the best writing is happening in revision. The first proposal is for ideas; The second is for clarity.

Reading a message often reveals what the eyes shine: embarrassing phrasing, unnecessary complexity or sentences that the reader works too hard. If the sentence feels awkward when it is spoken aloud, it will be as clumsy as it is read.

You want to clarify your Wring, focus on these key improvements:

• Simplify unnecessarily complex sentences: Cut off excess words and replace the jargon with a clear, direct language.

• Ensure that every feeling (and every word) serves the purpose.

• Clarfy expectations: Remove any ambiguity that could lead to incorrect interpretation.

Related: 19 tips for extremely impacting your writing (Infographic)

For leaders, writing does not mean impressive. It means clarifying ideas, decisions and expectations. The influence of the leader depends on their ability to understand the people they lead.

If you want to increase your leadership, start small. Improve one e -mail in time. Before sending another message, ask yourself: Does it say exactly what I need to say as clearly? Mastering clear writing will not only improve your daily communication – it will make you a leader whose words will bring an impact.