Thank you, Linked In, for telling my story.

You sent an e-blast at the start of 2018 sharing some learning tools that will help us enact our professional New Year’s Resolutions.

Your heading says, “2,000 business leaders told us these are the top skills all employees need.”

Drum roll please.

Your top four skills, in this order:

1. Leadership
2. Communication
3. Collaboration
4. Time Management

Ha! I knew it. Even though “communication” scored second place (and trying not to be biased), you need communication skills to be an effective leader AND to collaborate well with your internal and external business world. You probably need good communication skills to be a smart manager of your time too.

So – Communication Skills win first, second, third and fourth place.

How to hone your communication skills? Besides reading past Speak For Yourself® blogs, use these top three strategies:

1. Focus on your audiences’ needs (not yours)
2. Use Velcro
3. Deliver your messages with a strong voice, eye contact, good posture – whether standing or sitting, and an open facial expression – aka smile.

You must be able to communicate with confidence, gravitas, and competence to sell your brand/investment pitch/board objective/ideas.

© 123RF Stock Photo

© Karen Cortell Reisman, M.S., author of 3 books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with decision makers on how to speak with gravitas. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Karen also speaks about her cousin, Albert Einstein, in a message about hope, resilience and brassieres.

Read more at www.SpeakForYourself.com/blog.