Daily insights to help you change minds and drive action. Bi-weekly premium essays that dive deep on how the world’s best leaders communicate.
How to get to the point
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If you could say exactly what you mean without worrying whether it sounds clever or impressive, what would you say? If you could let go of the judgment of others and tell the story the way you actually feel it, what would you say? If you could skip the selling and simply get to the point, what would you say? Why don’t you? Sometimes we just overthink it. Keep lighting the path, __ |
What the Best Leaders Say
Daily insights to help you change minds and drive action. Bi-weekly premium essays that dive deep on how the world’s best leaders communicate.
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 9 Strategy discussions often revolve around the search for the next big idea. When performance stalls or alignment loosens, leadership teams frequently respond by changing the strategy in search of that big idea. Yet in many organizations the deeper problem is not the absence of a new idea. It is that the existing one has never been refined enough to guide decisions. This essay explores a pattern visible in companies as different as Yahoo, IKEA, Google, and...
Look at any message that actually moved people. You will find the same four properties every time. Plain and simple so people understand it immediately.Actionable so they know what it means for them.Transformative so something actually changes.Heartfelt so people believe it. Conveniently, the four spell PATH. Once you see the pattern, it feels almost embarrassingly obvious. Which makes this hard to explain: Why is it so rare? You would expect to see it everywhere.Strangely, you don’t. Most...
Here is something most leadership communication advice completely ignores: The higher you rise as a leader, the harder it becomes to say things plainly. Which has nothing to do with skill. The reason is much simpler. And it hurts a little: Clarity creates consequences. Plain and simple words force a choice. If a CEO says: “We will exit this business within two years.” Everyone knows what that means. If they say: “We are exploring strategic alternatives to sharpen our portfolio.” Everyone can...