A few weeks ago, I met with a client and his company. I've worked with them since the beginning and have seen them grow year after year into a real powerhouse. They have carved out quite a unique niche unmatched by anyone else, to include those much bigger companies that get all the attention in that industry.
Plus, they are a great team.
I was blown away by what I heard and observed on the first day. My planned talk for day two would have to be adjusted. Instead of talking about the things I previously thought they might need to hear, I chose to focus on three things that can trip up great teams.
Communication is one of them, and it reminded me of something I had experienced while on the greatest team I was ever a part of.
We had crushed every metric and every challenge placed before us. We were always ahead of schedule. We never took our foot off the gas pedal and never rested on our laurels; never acted like we had scaled the mountain.
The body of leadership experience on that team was impressive, and we were constantly working to develop future talent.
But we were not immune to the challenges all teams face.
We had a guy on our team who, for several reasons, wasn’t a part of the operational adventures. But he was very organized and mindful of all the little things that could get us off course. We added him to the office team and put him in charge of the administrative component.
One day I was told that he had drafted some documents for me to sign, one of which was a memo that was going to be distributed to the entire company.
I started reading it and barely got through the first paragraph. The words were so big, so academic, so focused on extraneous stuff, so “not me.” I took it to my right-hand man and asked if he had read it. He smiled and said, “nope – Smith (random name) said he had heard you speak so many times that he would be able to make it sound like you.”
Oh, my goodness. It didn’t sound like me at all. At least I HOPED it didn’t. If that’s what “Smith” thought I sounded like, talked like, and focused on, what did everyone else think?
I spoke to Smith and asked him about his choice of words. He simply said, “yes sir, it sounds just like you.”
Besides the fact that even great teams need to constantly work to hone their communication abilities, I learned a more profound lesson that day. One that has resonated in my head for the last few decades.
Leaders don’t sound the way they think they sound.
Just because the intent in your mind is crystal clear doesn’t mean others perceive it that way. In fact, I’d bet the large majority don’t.
And isn’t that the same dynamic we see play out in other areas of our lives, like family and community?
So, what’s the point? Leaders don’t get a pass on refining and developing their communication skills.
They must continually shape how they are understood. If anything, they must put in extra work simply because of the wide-reaching impact of what they say (and write), how they act and react.
Whether leaders intend it or not, their team is always building a picture. And that includes defining what they believe is important to you.
Let’s make sure that picture matches what actually matters.
If this reflection was helpful, feel free to forward it to another leader who might appreciate it.
If something in this reflection stirred questions or feels close to where you are right now, you're welcome to book a Leadership Strategy Call - a calm, pressure-free conversation designed to help you gain clarity and a next step.
Dan
Advisor to Leaders
A steady presence when the weight of leadership gets heavy