Let’s be real.

Everyone can improve the way they communicate with others, including you and me.

But you can’t change or improve what you don’t acknowledge.

That’s why you need honest self-reflection. It takes an inside-out approach.

‘Honest self-reflection’ is my polite way of saying, please don’t bullshit yourself.

Because we’re good at that.

We tell ourselves stories to justify our behaviour.

We make excuses.

We make it about other people, or our situation and circumstance.

We say, “yeah, but…”

I encourage you to park all of that.

Set it aside for a moment and get real.

If you want to improve your relationships, influence, communication and leadership, you need to ask yourself the tough questions and be brutally honest in your answers:

What’s it like to be around me?

Am I modelling the behaviour I want to see in others?

What steps can I take today to show up better than I did yesterday?

Let me be clear though: Honest self-reflection is not about self-loathing or beating yourself up.

It’s about honesty with the aim of growth, learning and development.

It’s all about continuous self-improvement.

Be kind to yourself but be real.

What is something that on reflection, you need to improve when it comes to your communication?