When people transition into a leadership position, they are regularly surprised to learn how much of their job is now communication.
And, in turn, how much of the struggles they face can be traced back to communication.
How was that journey for you?
Did you feel prepared for it?
What was the most surprising thing you (had to) learn about communication as a leader?
When was the last time you said “Thank you!” to someone even though you didn’t have to?
A thank you that’s not only transactional but one that you actually meant.
A thank you that said “I see you”.
I see that what you do cannot be taken for granted.
I see that your job can sometimes be hard.
I see that even on a bad day like this you’ve shown up.
I see that you care although no-one ever says “thank you” to you.
I see this.
I see you.
Sometimes, that’s all a team needs from their leader. And a simple “Thank you!” might be all it takes.
Hi,
I’m back from my summer sabbatical.
Let’s start by catching up with some news for my german speaking friends: There’s a new book out which I contributed an article to.
A few weeks ago, my colleague Armin Nagel published a highly insightful take on the art of waiting. It’s called “Schöner Warten” (which roughly translates to “How to make more out of waiting”) and it’s a collection of unexpected perspectives on waiting.
I mean, let’s face it: a huge part of our lives is spent waiting, isn’t it?
We’re waiting for someone to show up. Or for them to leave.
We’re waiting for the green light. Or for someone to stand up and say “stop”.
We’re waiting for a meal.
Or that it’s our turn at the doctor’s.
We’re waiting for the pain to cease. The show to start. The phone to ring.
We’re waiting for him, her, them, or it.
Each and every day.
Why not make the best out of that time, right?
I loved that thought and didn’t hesitate a second when Armin asked me to contribute some of my thoughts to the collection. The piece is called “The Art of Listening”, an art that – as it turns out – can only be truly mastered when we master the art of waiting. If you’re interested, here’s the full text (in german)
There are more than 30 texts like this in the book – each of them looking at waiting from the most unexpected places. If you feel like you could make more out of your waiting time, head over to the book’s website to learn more: https://www.warteberater.de
A personal note:
After 830+ posts and 250 podcast episodes, I’m taking a summer sabbatical.
It’s time to take a step back so I can reflect, recharge and refocus.
It’s also time to spend some time with my family, play the guitar, read a few good books, and go to places I didn’t get to see in what feels like some fast-paced three years.
I might occasionally show up on social media, but don’t count on it.
Feel free to reach out, though. If you need urgent help – or even if you just want to say hello or share some stories – get in touch here.
Wishing you a great summertime.
Keep lighting the path!
PS: Posting will presumably resume in September. If you feel like catching up in the meantime, here’s the complete archive of posts.
When their brilliant idea loses to an inferior one that’s among the most frustrating experiences for any entrepreneur or leader.
Even more so when the others are playing it unfair by promising the blue from the skies and using all sorts of sneaky marketing and sales tricks.
But the solution is not to play by their rules and persuade even harder. It’s to change the rules and resonate stronger: understand your audience so well that you can craft messages that resonate so strongly that they become irresistible.
I imagine a world in which those of us who have an important story to tell, a story that has the potential to change the world, find the words to make that happen.
What’s your story?
Leaders don’t need a title and not every leader carries a title.
You become a leader by lighting a path in a way that others can join the path.
Sometimes, that’s the quiet team member who’s done the math.
Sometimes, it’s the loud member who trusts their gut.
Sometimes, it’s the boss.
Other times, it’s not.
“This is where we need to go.”
“This is why we need to go there.”
“This is why it needs to be us.”
These are the questions a leader can put in words.
Who does this for your team?
Or life, for that matter.
Maybe you never wanted a career in marketing turned out to be your passion.
Or you thought you were bad at public speaking is now what people admire you for.
Perhaps you thought that you need to be born as a genius is actually the result of hard work.
And when it looks like someone’s locked the status quo can actually change.
Where has your perspective seen an unexpected shift?
(Inspired by this brilliant campaign using “reverse sentences”.)
Some people love “to do” lists while others hate them.
Some people love the feeling of checking the next item on the list while others feel intimidated by all the things that remain unchecked.
Some people love that the list collects anything that needs to be done in one place while others hate that that list never gets down to zero … it’s just never all done.
Fun activity: Drop the topic at a networking event and you’ll find people on either side willing to dive into heated discussions about who’s right and who’s wrong.
I prefer to look at it as a choice. If you find the lists useful and feel that they help you achieve the things you want to achieve. Great. If you find the lists harmful and feel that a different approach allows you to do the things you want to achieve in a less stressful way. Also great.
Just do it.
How do you perceive your CEO’s communication strength?
I think that in many situations the more appropriate question to ask would be: “What’s going on here?”
It could very well turn out that – really – nothing’s wrong with them. Their stance might actually make a lot of sense when looking from their perspective. They’ve got a different context. They’ve had different experiences. They know different things. From these experiences and in that context things can look very differently.
We still might not agree with what we see, but looking through that lens can help us discover paths that keep a conversation going.
