If you want to be a better leader, choose better words!
Power of words:
People determine if you are positive or negative, backward-looking or forward-focused, follower or leader, weak or powerful by the language you use.
Yes, behaviors establish your reputation. But… Language is the music of your day-to-day leadership.
Dark notes:
- Negative language makes you a negative leader. Monitor your conversations for a day to see how many dark notes you use.
- Complaining doesn’t make you a leader. It makes you a complainer, even if you don’t want to admit it.
- Problem-centric conversations create stress and stagnation. Solution-centric conversations make us sing.
Improve your language – expand your leadership.
Bad music starts:
- “I can’t believe ….” Unmet expectations are prime opportunities to complain. But complaining doesn’t help us meet expectations.
- “Did you know ….” Juicy morsels about others often become dissonant notes.
- “They totally screwed up ….” Sentences that begin with ‘they’ often conclude with complaints.
- “It’s not fair ….” The search for fairness always ends with complaining.
- “That’s stupid ….” Remember, smart people DO stupid things. “Momma says, ‘Stupid is as stupid does.’” Forest Gump
Stop complaining:
Success is easier when you eliminate ineffective behaviors.
Being a positive leader might feel daunting. No worries. Just stop being so negative. I confess that it’s not enough to just stop complaining, but it’s a great start!
