In continually seeking to innovate and show initiative, many 4-star admirals and generals are more often seeking media advice directly from newly-created "strategic communication cells" consisting of civilians of varying age, experience and skill levels who seek to "influence" audiences, while minimizing traditional roles of career military public affairs staffs who function to "inform" the public.

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And given the importance of visual communication, you might think that skill at sharing photos would be considered desirable.

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"Mr. Kan is a skillful politician when on the offensive, forcefully breaking through and overcoming barriers but crisis management and day-to-day communication with the public is not an offensive skill, " said Yukio Edano, Mr. Kan's chief spokesman during the height of the crisis, told reporters last month.

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Communication is a leadership skill that can be used in multiple ways, verbally, non-verbally, and in written form, so if you want to get better at this critical skill, here are some strategies to pay attention to.

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