Leadership communication skills is the foundation for building trust and fostering teamwork. According to Google’s Project Oxygen, it’s also a key component of leadership effectiveness and a top driver of employee morale.

The ability to effectively communicate with all team members, from the frontline employees to executives, is a critical skill for any leader. Strong communication skills allow leaders to share important information and provide clear direction for projects. They also help leaders resolve conflicts and maintain a positive work environment, even in the face of interpersonal adversity.

Communicate like an executive with metrics and data

A good communicator has an aura of confidence and conveys a sense of self-assurance without appearing arrogant. They also know how to read emotions and body language and can adapt their tone of voice to suit different situations. For example, a call with a customer might require a more casual approach than an email with a colleague.

In addition to a confident demeanor, excellent communication is also about being transparent and providing clarity. This means that if you don’t know something, you tell your team and explain how you plan to address it. It also means not “spinning” messages that you don’t want to hear, and being willing to listen to constructive feedback.

Lastly, great leadership communication includes knowing your audience and using the right medium to reach them. For example, your tone may be more informal in a virtual meeting than in person and you’ll need to use different levels of detail for email communication than for phone calls or meetings with your executive team.