Today’s global business environment makes good communication more important than ever. Those who lead virtual global teams need to be great communicators. They need to be able to persuade others, build trusting relationships, and motivate productive teamwork. To bring out the best in people and to find the common ground where true communication takes place, you need to understand the things that influence the way people communicate, including culture, gender, and generation. When you understand these influences, you can avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings, and you can help everyone focus on what’s really important—the business.

As you learn to do the things that leaders do—make decisions, develop a vision, talk to people and inspire them, manage productivity—you need to develop the skills that make you look, act, and speak like a leader. A personal brand will tell others what you value and what you promise; personal presence will help others see you the way you see yourself; and learning how to lead productive meetings will differentiate you as a leader who gets things done.

Strong interpersonal communication skills are crucial in effective leadership. Tough conversations happen when we disagree about important issues, and knowing how to handle difficult conversations can keep a team or an organization running smoothly. In this module, you’ll learn how to handle disagreements and diverging opinions and how to use conflict to strengthen teams and organizations.

In this module, we will practice communication in the context of crisis situations. You’ll learn how to handle crisis responses, how to save your company’s good name, and who you should pay attention to when communicating about a crisis. Skillful crisis communication makes crisis management effective.