Developing relatable leadership skills can help strengthen communication, deepen relationships, and create greater influence at work and beyond.
It’s summer! Back in the day, summer was my favorite season. My parents shipped me off to summer camp in the mountains when I was 10 years old, and I looked forward to returning every summer after that until I started college.
There were so many new skills to learn: archery, canoeing, photography, basket-weaving (yes, that was really a thing!), to mention a few. And perhaps the most important skill was learning to make new friends.
Summer, to me, has always been a season of growth. While summer camp days are long over, summer is still a great season to develop skills that make us more effective in our professional and personal lives.
This summer, consider adding relatability to your learning agenda. The ability to connect with others authentically may be one of the most valuable leadership skills you can develop—not just for this season, but for the future.
I am often asked by clients for help with developing their executive presence. Over the years, I’ve noticed a shift: executive presence was about projecting confidence, certainty, and status. However, executive presence is evolving. It is no longer about authority, rather it’s about combining competence with connection, authority with authenticity, and expertise with relatability.
Relatable leaders can build trust faster, increase engagement, and encourage dialogue. When leaders communicate and connect in ways that feel genuine, others are more willing to listen, to contribute, and to collaborate. Effective connecting is what transforms communication from the exchange of information into the creation of influence.
Relatability is not a personality trait you are or aren’t born with; it’s a communication skill that can be developed with intention and practice. Relatable leaders are good listeners, admit when they don’t know the answer, ask thoughtful and curious questions, and share stories when appropriate.
So, how might you incorporate learning these skills in your day-to-day routines? You might start with a beginner’s mindset. Think of the experience at summer camp. No one shows up on the first day expected to know everything. A beginner’s mindset doesn’t mean you lack expertise. It means being open to learning, even when you have expertise.
Here are a few exercises to experiment with to build your skills over the summer:
4 Ways to Build Relatable Leadership Skills:
Exercise 1: Ask Thoughtful Questions
Each day, ask a colleague a question that invites more depth in a conversation.
Examples include:
- What’s something exciting you’re working on?
- What’s been your biggest challenge lately?
- What’s one thing I may not know about your role?
Exercise 2: The Listening Workout
For one conversation each day:
- Talk less.
- Listen longer.
- Resist the urge to immediately solve a problem that may be presented to you.
Exercise 3: Replace Performance with Presence
Be intentional with how you are showing up in meetings or other environments.
Ask yourself: “Am I trying to impress people, or connect with them?” This question alone can transform communication.
Use the following questions to guide your intentions:
- What can I learn at this meeting today?
- Whose perspective have I not heard?
- What assumptions might I be making?
- What question could I ask instead of offering an immediate opinion?
Exercise 4: Story Practice
Share one short personal story each week, not to impress, to connect.
The story could involve: a mistake you made, a lesson you learned, a surprising experience.
Using a technique I learned from Matthew Dicks, author and storyteller, take several minutes at the end of each day to recount and write down the essence of your “story-worthy” moment(s) of the day so you will better remember them.
Relatability Begins with Curiosity
This summer, consider approaching your communication the way you might approach the first day of camp—with openness, curiosity, and a beginner’s mindset. You may discover that relatability is less about having the right answers and more about creating space for meaningful connection.
Leaders who connect most effectively are often those who have never stopped learning.
Which of these relatable leadership skills will you work on this summer?
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