English Archive - Page 14 of 100 - The Art of Communicating

Should Taylor Swift really perform at your product launch?

When you manage to get Taylor Swift to perform at your company press conference it will almost certainly get you a wow from your guests. But that’s no substitute for the resonance that your actual announcements do or do not create.

Tonight, Apple will stream their newest keynote. I found this piece by Alex Cranz interesting in which she observes:

No one else in the tech space has had the same success as Apple at getting people to treat their announcements as big events. Nearly every single major tech company has tried. Sony had Taylor Swift at a CES keynote, and Samsung marched out a member of BTS to applause at a Galaxy Unpacked event. Google had the Slo-Mo guys. Intel had dancers and acrobats festooned in LEDs. But something about an Apple event seems to resonate more with folks.

Here’s the thing: People don’t watch a tech announcement to see Taylor Swift. And there’s no aha effect in seeing dancers and acrobats perform. It might create attention and, thereby, “open the mind” of the viewers.

But it doesn’t change minds. It’s merely wow. But wow without aha is mostly harmless. Just look at all these hilarious ads. What was that ad about, again?

Apple understands its customers better than most. Their goal for the keynotes is not to wow them with random show acts. Apple wants to provide their fans with aha moments about the products they love.

These aha moments might not resonate with everyone, but that is precisely why Apple can strengthen their resonance with loyal fans. It’s an aha that’s not meant for everyone. But it’s an aha for their fans – often without any wow on top (I mean, how many of their latest keynotes were you blown away by? And yet, if you’re an Apple fan, you’re going to watch this one …).

If you feel like you need a star act to make your event appealing, perhaps it’s time to find the inherent value in your products … and the words that create strong resonance with the people who truly matter.

The storyteller’s rope

Why did the storyteller bring a rope to his talk? To tie his stories together, but he just ended up tangling them more!

No, seriously, there’s a stark difference between crafting a cohesive narrative and cobbling together a bunch of stories, hoping that something sticks. The latter is like trying to make sense of a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from different boxes. Sure, each piece might be colorful and captivating, but together they’re just a confusing mess. The former, however, is an art form – using individual stories to guide the audience to a meaningful destination on a meaningful path.

Kudos to anyone who can weave in that hilarious story about their cat, a trip to Bermuda, and that one time they met a celebrity in an elevator. But if by the end of it, I’m left wondering what the connection was, or worse, what the entire talk was about, then we’ve missed the mark entirely.

It’s not about how many cool anecdotes you can cram in. It’s about making sure every thread counts. Don’t distract with the flash and the flair. If you’re just shooting for the “wow”, you’re probably missing the deeper “aha”.

Storytelling is a powerful tool, but think first about how the talk itself can be turned into a compelling story and only then about which stories and anecdotes can be used to illustrate your points.

Leading

Leading isn’t about being in front; it’s about knowing where you’re going.

Lighting the path helps your team to know it, too.

Context isn’t a luxury

When you just throw tasks at your team without context, what do you get? People doing the bare minimum because they don’t see the bigger picture.

But when you take a moment to explain the ‘why’, it’s a game-changer. Instead of micromanaging you pursue clarity. Instead of throwing tasks at them you empower them to make choices. Instead of blindly following orders, your team can innovate and take charge.

Think of it this way: just handing someone a puzzle piece versus showing them the full image.

Context isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

By offering clarity, you’re not just getting tasks done, you’re building leaders.

Take the time to explain things.When everyone gets it, they can take charge.

Beyond the vision

A visionary leader steps in, armed with fresh ideas and an eagerness to disrupt. Bold plans are set: reinvent traditional practices, leverage modern tools, shift paradigms.

Then bold plans meet confidence and the leader doesn’t waste a single second putting it into practice. He confidently leads the way.

Only to discover that the team doesn’t follow.

The leader’s vision for the destination is evident. But that’s not enough when crucial questions remain unanswered: “Why are we heading there?”, “Why is this journey ours to undertake?”, and “How do we make choices along the way?”

These questions are not mere details. They form the bedrock of collective understanding and commitment.

That’s the difference between “leading the way” and “lighting the path”. While the former may define direction, the latter provides clarity on the journey’s purpose, the team’s unique role, and the principles that guide decision-making along the way.

True leadership fuses vision with shared purpose. It ensures not just movement, but meaningful progress.

When a team understands the destination, grasps the significance of their role, and is equipped with decision-making compasses, they’re not just following — they’re embarking on a shared odyssey.

PS: I’m assembling a list of leaders who master this. If you know one, no matter if they’re well known or not, please reply to tell me about them!

Clueless

What just happened? Did they seriously choose that piece of junk over mine?

Every detail, every nuance — mine’s miles ahead … and it’s still trumped by that amateur hour show? What a kick in the gut.

Damn it! All those nights, the endless tweaking, all the personal sacrifices—swept aside for what? Some fancy talk and smoke and mirrors? I mean, their sweet talk might impress for a moment, but it won’t hold up in the long run. Why can’t they see past the façade?

They must be blind. Or stupid. Anyone with half a brain would see mine’s the real deal. If they just looked closer, gave it a real shot, they’d get it.

Are they seriously this clueless?

====

What do you reply to this frustrated person?

Shadows, storms, and leadership

Leadership isn’t about guiding a team when the path is clear; it’s about lighting the path when things are shrouded in uncertainty. Anyone can stand at the helm in fair weather. It’s during storms when true leaders become visible.

These leaders often blend boldness with compassion.

Boldness is the courage to venture into the storm, to make tough calls, and to voice the truths that others might shy away from. Yet, without compassion, this bravery can become a blinding flash, disorienting more than guiding.

Compassion is the gentle glow that shows that you understand the fears and aspirations of those who follow, ensuring that no one feels alone or left behind in the dark. It means listening when the wind howls with dissent and caring when challenges roar.

While boldness might chart the course through the storm, it’s compassion that ensures the journey is one that everyone is willing and able to undertake.

In an age where leadership is still often equated with authority and power, remember that the most impactful leaders are those who light the path, not just lead the way.

As you navigate challenges, consider not only the direction you set but also the light you cast for others.

Pretty good

You know those talks where you zone out, even if the speaker’s trying really hard? You clap at the end, maybe even smile, but once it’s over, you just… forget it. Everything goes back to the way it was.

It’s not always because the slides are boring or the talk’s too long. Some of these talks are actually pretty good. But “pretty good” isn’t cutting it. It doesn’t make you want to get up and do something different.

Now, think about those rare talks where you’re hooked from the start. You start feeling a bit restless, like you can’t just sit there. The speaker’s not just talking at you, they’re challenging you. Your old ways of thinking start to feel, well, old.

After one of these talks, going back to “business as usual” feels wrong. It’s like trying to put on a shoe that doesn’t fit anymore. Sure, you can choose to ignore what you’ve just heard, but you’ll know you’re doing it. And that choice? It’s on you.

That’s the power of a great presentation. It lights a path so irresistibly bright that doing nothing feels tougher than taking action.

PS: Check if your presentations do the job.

A silent saboteur

Mediocrity is a silent saboteur.

While great things quickly get promoted and bad things are fixed fast, average just stays around.

We grapple with it, reluctant to let go of it just as we would with the bad. Yet we often hesitate to make a decisive push towards excellence and make the edits that have to be made.

Essentially, we struggle to say: That’s just “okay” and “okay” is not enough.

Also, after all, a lot of work has already gone into that piece.

So, we keep on tinkering with it.

And some more.

Mediocrity’s trap is making us believe we’re moving forward when we’re just circling the same spot. We think we’re acting, but often we’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Breaking free requires bold steps: a ground-up transformation or the courage to scrap it and pivot.

Instead, mediocrity captures our focus precisely because it teeters on the edge of holding potential for both greatness and failure.

In a way, it exploits our internal battles—our fears of failure, our aspirations for success, and the comfort of the familiar. In our reluctance to see the mediocre decline, and our hesitance to take the risks required for excellence, we find ourselves tethered to this “just okay” zone, expending energy without clear direction.

This middle area, not great but not terrible, acts like a sneaky problem, taking our energy and overshadowing our dreams. It’s like a tricky call, leading us away from doing our best, and suggesting the idea that this would be “good enough” and worth our time.

The battle here is in recognizing and resisting the subtle pull of the mediocre that threatens to dilute our potential.

Have you experienced the pull of mediocrity?

Calling all Visionaries

If you’re reading this it’s likely that you have an ambitious roadmap and the dream of changing the game.

Do you sometimes sense a gap, like your team’s just not as fired-up as you hoped? That your grand mission and their day-to-day might be living in two different worlds?

Here’s a gentle reminder: Your team is more than a set of skilled hands. They’re individuals, each with aspirations, ideas, and stories of their own. While your direction is essential, so too is their perspective. While your passion is the initial thrust, their excitement is the sustained momentum. Maybe it’s time to loosen the reins a bit, to see where collective imagination can take you.

You’ve got the end goal in sight, that’s clear. But how about letting them in, not just on the “what,” but also the “why” and the “how”? This isn’t about giving away power; it’s about fostering genuine collaboration. Think dialogue over directive, synergy over solos.

The next time you’re laying out strategies, perhaps invite them to the drawing board, to co-create. Because when everyone feels ownership over the dream? That’s when you’ll see some real magic. Cultivating commitment and passion starts with allowing everyone to contribute to the narrative.

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