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Strategic clarity at the top. Confusion below. The CEO knows exactly what she wants. The board refines and approves it. It sounds brilliant. But then the relay chain takes over: Every layer adds a thought, nuance, perhaps fear and no one can really explain the original intent. But why does that even happen when everything was so clear at the top? Well, maybe because leadership thought the problem was solved with having a clear strategy. But the bigger problem is passing it along through the relay chain. Can you articulate your strategy in a way that survives the relay? Because that’s the difference between a strategy that’s sound and clear and one that actually drives action. It’s what people pass along. Do you design for that? Keep lighting the path, __ If you like podcasts but not the 2 min intros, my podcast “Irresistible Communication” is 2 minutes overall and always comes with an actionable insight you can try right away. |
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There’s a very simple reason why most messages don’t spread. It has nothing to do with how smart the message is or how polished and elaborate your argument is. Me and you have seen too many smart, polished, and elaborate arguments fail. The reason is much simpler: People are selfish. They treat their message as if it’s their own. They want others to spread it exactly as they said it. And then they wonder why no one repeats it. Here’s the problem: Sharing is not about you. It’s about what the...
Is this the biggest lie we tell ourselves:“I’ve made it very clear”. Well, not in the strict sense of the word, of course. It’s not technically a lie. You did make it very clear. But we both know that clarity is not really what happens on the stage (or in the email). Clarity is what happens in the hallways, two days later. The actual lie is this: It’s the middle managers’ fault. They just didn’t get it. They passed it along wrong. Spinned it. Mis-quoted you. Which they did. Only that it...
What the Best Leaders Say Issue 7 Walk into any office kitchen five minutes after a Town Hall, and you will hear the real strategy of the company. It won’t sound anything like the slides that were just presented. It will be shorter, blunter, and usually, much scarier. And yet, we spend weeks polishing the slides, but zero time designing the gossip, while the gossip is what actually manages the company. This issue is about taking control of that conversation. It’s about designing the message...