Many great corporate and political leaders will tell you that they watched and admired a parent, older sibling, or another family member or friend speak their mind and take charge of difficult situations. In other words, they saw first-hand the impact of leadership communication to calm a storm or controversy. Speaking out about issues and influencing others to act involves both the will and the skill. You can increase your capacity in both areas—will and skill—by observation, reflection, and practice.

How to Find Your Voice As a Leader: 5 Tips to Speak Up!

As a leader, you create the culture that either helps your teams thrive––or barely survive. Obviously, no leader intentionally stalls or stymies a team. But even the best leaders occasionally make mistakes that freeze their people rather than free them to excel. Here’s how that happens:

Avoid These 5 Mistakes Leaders Make That Cripple Teams

Mistake #1: Promising Rather Than Asking