Speak as though you are certain, listen as though you are not

Leadership requires you to sometimes be the fearless leader communicating direction with clarity and great vision, mobilising your forces in pursuit of a better future. At times it requires the exact opposite, a capacity to empower others to lead and find their own inner wisdom. The directness is tempered by a certain enabling of others to achieve their greatness. You have to know when to tell them and know when to ask them. (I was singing a Kenny Rogers song as I wrote that last line.) A balance between ‘I am an authority follow me!' and ‘You are an authority, what would you like to do next?'

This is the difference between speaking to the team and coaching individuals in the team. The problem is that we as individuals often show a tendency toward one or the other. Here is a quick pop quiz to get you thinking about the various modes of information delivery you, as a Thought Leader, need to develop.

Download and complete the quiz here

If you downloaded the quiz then the following model makes sense…

It comes down to a simple case of punctuation. Sometimes you speak as though you're certain and finish each sentence with the verbal equivalent of an exclamation mark!!!! And sometimes you finish each sentence with a spoken question mark???? Balance your ask/tell ratio and increase your leadership and communication effectiveness.

M@