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Issue 6 > The language of leaders: words that make a difference.

The language of leaders: words that make a difference.

Gregg Thompson outlines 'words of the leader' and urges 'make them yours'.

Over the course of a year in my line of work I will hear hundreds of leaders speak to their organizations about the things they believe are important for future success.

Too many of these communications are comprised of a sterile, predictable business vocabulary that is rife with boilerplate text and shopworn cliches. Most unpardonably, they are boring and uninspiring. You've attended one of these meetings, I'm sure.

These organization leaders are bright, experienced men and women who have clear vision and genuine passion for their organizations. Unfortunately, many are ill-equipped to communicate in a way that truly influences the attitudes and actions of others.

These leaders have platform and presentation skills yet they rely upon a business vocabulary that places a large premium on professional sounding words like 'deliverables', 'ethics', 'vision', 'commitment', and 'accountability'.

It saddens me to see these otherwise talented leaders flailing around in the shallow end of the vocabulary pool when a deeper dive would tremendously enhance their ability to generate excitement, convey passion, and supply meaning.

Fortunately, some leaders choose to step out of the norm and employ more potent and original terms. For example, during a recent management meeting, one of my clients described the spate of recently-disgraced business executives as 'leeches that infest the pond of commerce, sucking on the blood vessels of our futures'. It was hard to miss this message. Its distinctiveness spurred greater attention.

I hope this quartet of ideas will stimulate you to dive deeper:

• 1 At the conclusion of your next management meeting, ask each other for promises not deliverables. (In our family, promises are important personal commitments not to be taken lightly.)
• 2 Instead of talking about corporate ethics, notice the reaction you get when you use words like 'deceit' and 'honor'.
• 3 During your next business planning session, talk about the personal courage and sacrifice needed to succeed—rather than just vision and commitment.
• 4 When involved in a team-building exercise, replace your usual feedback session with a discussion on forgiveness.

Words like 'promises', 'deceit', 'honor', 'courage', 'sacrifice', and 'forgiveness' are words that speak to higher human values. We hear and process these words in a profoundly different way than we do common commercial language.

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