Communicating Effectively

Finding your voice as a leader involves learning a set of rhetorical tactics and behaviors and incorporating them into your authentic way of speaking.
All types of written communications benefit from taking a moment to prepared and review, so you're presenting your thoughts in the most compelling and professional light.
When creating a presentation, consider the slide deck and the meat of your presentation separately.
For a meeting to be effective, you need to prepare the agenda and invitation list carefully, and explicit all participants' viewpoints during the meeting itself.

How to be an effective communicator

1. To find your voice as a leader:

Pick one rhetorical tool and try it out in a conversation. Contrasts, three-part lists, and expressions of moral conviction or shared sentiment will be seen more natural in day-to-day interactions, whereas metaphors, similes, and analogies should be reserved for larger, more formal discussions.
Choose emotionally heightened conversations to try new tactics. Practice your new skills when you're debriefing a direct report in your office, for example, not just making small talk in the parking lot. Serious interactions will give you better fodder, and you'll have more time to pause and gather your thoughts before you speak.
Observe yourself speak. Make a video of yourself as part of your practice; it's much more realistic than just watching yourself in a mirror. Choose something informal like a status update or a more elaborate script you wrote for a past presentation. Review the video to observe your facial expressions and gestures: How animated are you? Work on one specific behavior - for example, smiling - and practice it in all your interactions for the rest of the day.

2. When you need to write something:

Prepare by knowing what you really want to say (write three sentences), understanding who your audience is, and deciding on an organizing method.
Write your first draft quickly. Don't necessarily start at the beginning.
When you edit, review the content, polish your style, and check your grammar and usage, Aim for simplicity instead of trying to sound impressive.

3. When planning a presentation:

Plot your presentation out in narrative form before you even open your computer. Tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Decide whether you'll be using slides.
Prepare your visuals. Storyboard your presentation with sticky notes, and limit yourself to one idea per slide.
Perform like a pro to practicing ahead of time. During the presentation itself, stick to your schedule.

4. When running a meeting:

Prepare for the meeting by defining your purpose, creating an agenda, inviting attendees, assigning roles, and preparing logistics.
During the meeting, establish your ground rules for group interactions, keep things moving, and make sure all voices are heard. Close the meeting on time by summarizing your accomplishments and next steps.
Follow up afterward by sending a note to all attendees. Seek out critics to discuss (and disarm) their opposition.

Source: Harvard Business Review, Manager's Handbook, The 17 Skills Leaders Need to Stand Out.