Are you in the middle of the dining table or on the side?
Think about a dinner party–the person in the middle of the dining table is someone who can drive conversation, keep things moving, avoid awkwardness, and get everyone talking and having a great time.
If you put the wrong person in the middle of the table, the entire conversation can fall flat. There are awkward pauses, someone feels left out, and someone else hogs the conversation. The person in the middle is the gatekeeper who guides and leads the conversation. They play a huge role in the success of the event.
As a leader, you have to be a master of conversation. You have to be in the middle of the dining table.
Leaders have to be able to talk to people, hold a conversation, and make people feel valued and important when they talk. But they also have to have tough and awkward conversations and know how to balance being firm with being personable.
Being a master of conversation also requires knowing how to carry that conversation across different platforms and knowing the best channel to use. You wouldn’t text someone for an update on a big project, just like you wouldn’t have a serious conversation over email that would be better done on the phone. Leaders have to communicate smoothly in person, through email, and when talking to groups.
Leaders must be talented at conversation across the board and know how to get their message across and build relationships no matter the channel.
If you want to lead and be a master of conversation, you have to be able to sit in the middle of the table.
I put together a video which talks about this in more detail. Please check it out below and if you want more content like this you can subscribe to my Youtube channel.
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