STRONG LEADERS USE STRONG WORDS

FIVE TIPS TO CREATE MORE POWERFUL LANGUAGE.

Strong leaders communicate with strong words.  The next time you send out an email or speak to your team or even your entire organization, keep these five points in mind to make your language more powerful.

Avoid wimpy words.  Some words make you sound tentative. Words like might, maybe, possibly, perhaps, and could. These all sound as if you are not sure or definite. Not a very good stance for a leader at any level.

Make statements. When you say “I think…” you are diminishing your strength. “I think we have a great vision in place.”  Really??? Make it a statement: "We have a great vision in place."

Use active voice.  Strong leaders do not use passive voice: "There is a considerable range of expertise demonstrated by our engineers."  A stronger statement would be, "Our engineers have a considerable range of expertise."

Use strong, action verbs. We created…we implemented…we maximized. Using strong action verbs is especially important when speaking. You can emphasize the verb with your voice to add additional gravitas.

Use shorter sentences. The longer the sentence, the less your message stands out and the weaker it becomes. So write and speak an important idea in a short sentence. It will not only be stronger, but more memorable.

So, whether you are a line manager or a CEO, you are judged by the language you use.  Using stronger and more powerful language can only enhance your image as a leader!