Imagine an executive named John. He just finished giving his most polished presentation to the team. He’s convinced he nailed it. How could he not? Just look at the way he drove every point home, one after another – bam!
Days go by and nothing’s happening. Those days turn to weeks and the results are still underwhelming.
John has exhausted every option at his disposal. Despite his know-how and experience, it seems he can’t get through. He feels his leadership slipping away. Frustration is creeping in.
Why?
Leadership comes with a mindset. Those who excel at it are insatiably curious. They possess a multifaceted perspective about what they’re working toward. They’re generally enthusiastic about attaining their goal. They tend to understand complex systems and interconnectedness and can anticipate oncoming ripple effects long before the rest of us.
However, the roadblock John encountered is he failed to appreciate just how different everyone else’s mindset was.
By not having reached his audience, he has been merely talking instead of communicating.
If John is going to move people, they have to grok what moves him too: he has to bridge the gap.
Here are a few tips to remember when communicating as a leader, whether in writing or orally.
Figure out what it is about you that makes others perceive you as an authority figure. This simple exercise in self-reflection may make you more mindful of what to say and how to say it to spark those you aim to lead. You inspire, or you perspire.
But you also communicate to teach. Distill the key insights you possess that others may not. It can make it easier to inject a dose of guidance to someone in a concise, elevator pitch-type statement.
Take inventory of your knowledge base just as with any other asset. Find out how someone else might acquire similar enlightenment as you possess. It alone could enhance your potential for proficiently mentoring others -- which, like it or not, is what you aim to do every time you communicate with a leadership intent.
Lastly, a little soul searching might be beneficial in helping you ascertain what makes you sound at your most authentic, so you always have your compass set to that True North.
I am a ghostwriter. I am obsessed with painting with words and making the message I am sculpting sound as if my client had crafted it entirely by themselves. If such a service would be something you might need, visit www.solution-whisperer.com
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