By Diana Adjadj

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A good leader not only speaks, he or she also writes. Before and after that motivational talk, there is the written word. John Hall, co-founder and president of Calendar, a scheduling and time management app, believes that consistent writing will help a leader by:

• Improving your sense of self

Great leaders understand themselves. Take every opportunity you can to engage in self-discovery. Writing helps you to understand your authentic self. A good read of the thoughts that pour out of you as you fill the page can be very revealing.

• Making you more organized

Media mogul, motivational speaker, and comedian, Steve Harvey says, you need to write your vision and make it plain. Writing breathes life into your desired future. Consider writing what you want to accomplish every night before you sleep. Set your path straight about what you wish to achieve. Now, you are more prepared for the next day. You will wake up with your vision and be ready to bring it to life.

• Enhancing your communication skills

Leaders use stories to motivate their teams. You need to rally people behind your ideas. Writing helps you clearly map out the most effective way to get your point across. Writing, and then reading your words to yourself in advance, teaches you the strengths and weaknesses of your stories. Your communications will be clearer and more powerful.

• Helping you become more disciplined

The more your write, the better you get. And committing to writing every day makes you more disciplined. You might target a specific word count, or you might writer for a set amount of time. Either way, you are building a good habit. And one good habit tends to lead to others.

Great, you are sold on the idea of writing, and the value it brings to you as a leader. Now, you wonder what to do, and how to get started?

• Turn your thoughts into content

You want to write, but you do not know what to write about. You do not always need to worry about writing for a specific event. What is on your mind? Your thoughts make terrific content. Your thoughts around a new work from home policy – write them down. Your concerns about a lack of succession planning? Write them down.

• Practice precision and accuracy in your writing

Consider your tone. Are you excited about your topic? Are concerned? Puzzled? Write in a way that accurately expresses your feelings. And, be sure to check your spelling and your grammar. If you are not simply expressing your own thoughts on a topic, be sure to do some research, and to cite your sources.

• Clearly express your thoughts

If you want to motivate your team, and rally people around your ideas, then people need to understand you. Simplicity is the key to good expression. The shorter the story, the better. Simpler language is better. Do not use long, difficult to pronounce words unnecessarily.

Develop clarity in your writing. This will serve you as you make pitches, or draft emails, and when you make presentations. This will also help you to eliminate or at least minimize misunderstandings.

• Work on your openness

Be open. People will be impressed by your straightforwardness. Don’t pretend to take a position that does not represent your true beliefs.

Writing is a powerful tool. Take the time to learn how to leverage this tool. It will help you become an even stronger and sought-after leader.

Author Bio:

Diana Adjadj was a marketing consultant for Specific Appraisals for over 2 years. Now she is sharing her experience and practical tips in her blog. Diana also is a good friend of Studicus where she gladly shares her notes for writing blog posts and does some editing.