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 Personal
Expression & Leadership
"Who
ever said they want to be 2/3rds wonderful?”
asked one of my clients.
The question sparked a great conversation about issues that arise in Executive Coaching with an emphasis in communications. Here is some food for thought:
Believing in Leaders.
"Above all else, we must be able to believe in our leaders. We must believe that their word can be trusted, that they'll do what they say, that they're personally excited and enthusiastic about the direction in which we're headed, and that they have the knowledge and skill to lead. [We've] come to refer to it as The First Law of Leadership: If you don't believe in the messenger, you won't believe the message." – James Kouzes and Barry Posner in The Leadership Challenge.
Communications
and its Importance.
"Polls show that the ability to communicate well is ranked the number-one key to success by leaders in business, politics, and the professions." – Roger Ailes, You Are The Message.
Complicated Explanations.
"You should prefer explanations that are not more complicated than necessary for any given situation. I wanted [my client] to know that for both patient and therapist, complicating things is often nothing more than a case of vanity. The only reason [he] fought my explanation was because he wanted his problems to be anything but ordinary." – Joseph Luciani, Self-Coaching: How to Heal Anxiety and Depression.
Conversations.
"Our work, our relationships, and, in fact, our very lives succeed or fail gradually, then suddenly, one conversation at a time. Equally provocative has been my realization that while no single conversation is guaranteed to change the trajectory of a business, a career, a marriage, or a life, any single conversation can." – Susan Scott, Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and In Life, One Conversation at a Time.
Information Sharing.
“A number of obligations go along with good communication. We must understand that access to pertinent information is essential to getting a job done. The right to know is basic. Moreover, it is better to err on the side of sharing too much information than risk leaving someone in the dark. Information is power, but it is pointless power if hoarded. Power must be shared for an organization or a relationship to work.” – Max De Pree, Leadership is an Art.
Internal Communications – Storytelling.
"Stories are simple, timeless, and can appeal to everybody regardless of age, gender, or race – and they are fun. . . . still more reasons: stories are a useful form of training, a good method for empowering people, great as a recognition device, a recruiting and hiring tool, a sales technique, and an excellent way to pass along corporate traditions. . . . Put storytelling on your meeting agendas." – James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Leadership Challenge.
Language.
"Words have power! When you think about it, you realize that language is the most powerful tool ever invented anywhere by anyone." – Janet & Isaac Asimov, How to Enjoy Writing.
Most Successful Alumni.
"Thomas Harrell, a professor of applied psychology at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, set out to identify the traits of its most successful alumni. Studying a group of MBAs a decade after their graduation, he found that grade-point average had no bearing on success. The one trait that was common among the class's most accomplished graduates was 'verbal fluency.' Those that had built businesses and climbed the corporate ladder with amazing speed were those who could confidently make conversation with anyone in any situation. Investors, customers, and bosses posed no more of a threat than colleagues, secretaries, and friends. In front of an audience, at a dinner, or in a cab, these people knew how to talk. As Harrell's study confirmed, the more successfully you use language, the faster you can get ahead in life." – Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz, Never Eat Alone: And other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time.
Reputation.
“If you lose money for the firm by bad decisions, like I’ve done plenty of times for Berkshire, I will be very understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless.” Warren Buffett’s comments to Salomon Employees as he resuscitates the firm, as quoted in Michael Useem’s The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All.
Small Talk.
"Everyone knows the technical skills required for their jobs, but not everyone places importance on conversational skills. The ability to talk easily with anyone is a learned skill, not a personality trait. Acquiring it will help you develop rapport with people and leave a positive impression that lasts longer than an exchange of business cards." – Debra Fine, The Fine Art of Small Talk.
Use
Words Carefully.
“An Eastern proverb says that each word
we say, every comment we make, should be
required to pass through three gates before
it is spoken. ‘At the first gate the gatekeeper
asks, Is it true? At the second gate,
he asks, Is it necessary? And at
the third gate, Is it kind?" – Doris
Wild Helmering in Sense Ability: Expanding
Your Sense of Awareness for a Twenty-First-Century
Life.
The
Executive Communications Coach
Joseph Vranich • Irvine, California
• 949-551-3150
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