3 Cs Leaders Must Communicate!
"Of every noble work the silent part is best,
Of all expression that which can not be expressed"
- William Wetmore Story What we intend to communicate are the meanings our listeners
hear. Every leader has something to say - yet, how many leaders
tell those tales that need to be told? 1) Are leaders using the wrong words? 2) Are their words conveying the wrong things? 3) Do they intentionally mean the wrong things? I believe our leadership communication problem involves an
element of all three. We hear about leaders in all kinds of endeavors and all
walks of life saying they are being: => Misinterpreted => Misconstrued => Misquoted => Misunderstood => Misrepresented It's time to focus on the purposes of a leader's speech - we
should first ask ourselves 'why' leaders need to communicate
before we attempt to understand what they need to say. Communicate for Clarity!
It's Imperative, Important & Immediate, So Say It! You must => Define, => Describe => Protect the integrity, consistency and clarity of your own or the
collective group's agreed-upon => intent, purpose, mission, vision, meanings, beliefs,
values, relationships and views "Truth is the secret of eloquence and of virtue, the basis
of moral authority; it is the highest summit of art and of
life" - Henri Frédéric Amiel Clarity is the consistent communication of truth, purpose
and integrity! Communicate for Commitment!
Ask for Their Hope, Faith and Acceptance! To ensure their commitment, you must -> facilitate, offer, negotiate and orchestrate the quality,
quantity and worthiness of your people's - trust, emotional investments, common bonds, cultural ties,
franchise, loyalty, agreements, engagements, obligations,
pledges and covenants Your meanings, words and intentions must include a serious
consideration of their - need for retreat, current positions and stances, their
privileges and rights, reputation and goodwill, and craving
or hopes for glory. "Heroism is the brilliant triumph of the soul over the
flesh, that is to say over fear: fear of poverty, of
suffering, of calumny, of illness, of loneliness and of
death. There is no real piety without heroism."
- Henri Frédéric Amiel There is no real heroism without courage. There is no real
courage without commitment! Communicate for Competence!
Build It, Strengthen It, Grow It! Elevate the competence of your people and their work -> develop, discover, evaluate and strengthen the amount,
impact and relevance of the team's - talents, skills, performances, capabilities, momentum,
transcendence, quantum leaps and improvements, capacities,
influences, proficiencies, merits, literacy, adaptations and
transformations, suitability, deeds or accomplishments,
contributions and investments of time, energies and ideas. "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have
greatness thrust upon 'em" - William Shakespeare The good leader finds and allows greatness to blossom, the
better leader encourages greatness to rise-up and assert
itself, the greatest leader puts the ordinary into direct
contact with greatness! ------------------------------------------------------------ Use these 3 "C"s in your written and oral, formal or
informal communications. You'll see others respond to your
ideas and follow your instructions with more enthusiasm. I sometimes advise leaders to state the purpose of their
words first, then provide more details to their audience.
For example, tell them you want their commitment, then tell
them why you need it and what you hope to achieve with it. When it comes to poor or weak communications, don't be a
victim or perpetrator! Use your leadership opportunities to clearly, passionately
and capably communicate your true intentions - you can do it
because you want to, you believe you can and you are capable
of doing it well! "Art is a human activity having for its purpose the
transmission to others of the highest and best feelings to
which men have risen." - Count Leo Tolstoy Use the art of purposeful leadership communications to
elevate, encourage and empower your people to superior
levels of performance! Copyright © 2005, Mustard Seed Investments, Inc.,
All rights reserved. ------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bill Thomas publishes leadership skills training books,
materials & programs like, "Your Leadership-UltraNet!" -
this premier Performance Empowerment System helps you
think-like, act-like, behave-like, believe-like &
manage-like highly effective leaders - Learn more here:
http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/skills.html
------------------------------------------------------------
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