Leadership and Language

I was musing the other day while reading the headlines about the so-called Stimulus Bill. Politics aside, I was more interested in the various descriptions of the current economic malaise affecting the US. Apparently, our current economy is in “crisis” and on its way to “catastrophe.” If this legislation is not passed right away, apparently, our life as we know it will be over.

I will leave the pros and cons of this bill to the economists out there. So far, I see many of them weighing in, even though the specifics of the bill are far from settled. As a student, I am more interested in watching the behavior of our publicly elected leaders.

My thought for today centers on the importance of how a leader speaks. I am not talking about eloquence, delivery or style, which all have an impact on how a leader is perceived. What I want to speak to is the choice of specific language, the words that are utilized and their impact on listener/followers.

There is an old adage often offered to new parents; “The children are always watching!” To that I would add, that the children (and followers) are also always listening too! We all rely on language to understand and make sense of our world. If you don’t believe this, try thinking without using language as the medium.

So, when a political leader is inclined to use words like crisis and catastrophe, I would suggest that they proceed with caution. My reasoning here is quite simple.

There can be value in alerting people to danger or to serious situations. Clearly, leaders should not inappropriately downplay the seriousness of a situation. This will hurt their credibility, and in the end, their ability to be effective leaders. Integrity is a core essential of leadership and a wise leader knows and respects this.

Moreover, signaling the seriousness of a situation can be a powerful motivator. Change Management expert John Kotter calls this “creating a burning platform” and it can be a powerful way to initiate change. Clearly, if the room is on fire, it is important to impart a sense of urgency to head for the exits.

At the same time, there is a danger in yelling fire in a crowed building. Panic is an ugly thing and quite dangerous to all concerned. No reasonable person suggests that panic is conducive to problem solving, cool heads, and confidence.

Bringing this around to our current economic situation, the application is direct. Much of what dictates how well an economy will function is the level of uncertainty and risk that is perceived by all of its constituents. If the people who command center stage, our political leaders, appear to be in a panic, trying to avoid a catastrophe, well, the message to us regular folks is clear: “Things are terrible: stop, save, protect, head for the exits!”

Is this really what our leaders want us to do? If not, I suggest that they choose their words a bit more carefully. As FDR is famous for saying:

“All we have to fear, is fear itself.”

Great line, wish I had thought of it!

Another wonderful quote is attributed to Teddy Roosevelt. I will modify it just a bit for leaders to ponder:

“Walk (and talk) softly and carry a big stick!”

Be well and prosper.