One of the competencies in my book Remarkable Leadership is Influencing with Impact. In order to be a highly effective leader we must be able to successfully influence and persuade others.
While we all know how powerful our actions are in influencing others, we cannot lose sight of how powerful our words are as well. Ralph Waldo Emerson noted this power – for both good and bad with his words:
“No man has a prosperity so high or firm, but that two or three words can dishearten it; and there is no calamity which right words will not begin to redress.”
This is true in any role we play in life, but the importance is further highlighted if we hold a role in supervisor leadership, executive leadership, or any type of corporate or organizational leadership.
Our words matter.
If we want to make a positive difference, we must consider positive, encouraging, forward looking, uplifting, confidence-building words.
Our choice of words matters in our formal coaching and mentoring roles, in our presentations and emails, and they matter in our everyday face to face interactions with people.
Yet, I haven’t seen this topic discussed in a significant way in any leadership development program or leadership training (except ones that we’ve helped develop!)
Your leadership communication is about more than just the right corporate messages or sharing the monthly update. Your responsibility as a leadership communicator must start with consciously choosing the words that will lead people in the direction that best serves both them and the organization.
Your words matter, choose them wisely.
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