We Lead With Our Words

After narrowly winning the presidential election in November of 1960, John F. Kennedy began writing his inaugural address. He knew the first time he addressed the American people and the entire globe that his message and his vision had to be perfectly articulated. So, he took suggestions from various friends, aides and counselors and broke down Abraham Lincoln’s powerful Gettysburg Address. Kennedy wanted his message to be memorable, insightful and inspiring, meaning the words had to be carefully selected and woven together in perfect harmony. Kennedy wanted the words, not the delivery, to impact the nation and world. Whether you were listening on television or radio, Kennedy wanted his story to empower all the same way.

Because of the current pandemic, our ability to communicate daily with our players and employees has changed. We no longer can have face-to-face meetings. We can no longer use our mannerisms to demonstrate our passion and dedication to the daily workday. All we have to deliver our message accurately are our words — and the stories we share to make those words come to life.

Organizations may be using PowerPoint to get their daily information across, but if you work for Amazon, Powerpoint is not be allowed. Slides, with graphs and information, are a no-no. In his 2018 annual letter, Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos repeated his rule that PowerPoint is prohibited in executive meetings. Instead, Bezos wants narrative stories tightly structured, with real sentences comprised of verbs and nouns. He wants the words to drive the conversation, not the graphs, not slides, not a loose talk. In essence, he wants a finely-worded speech that can be powerful, informative, and inspirational.

Bezos is no different than the greatest marketing guru of this generation, David Ogilvy. Ogilvy believed the written word was a powerful message. He once said: “Tell the truth but make the truth fascinating. You know you can’t bore people into buying your product. You can only interest them in buying it.” Ogilvy’s main job was to sell. Our main job as leaders is to sell our plan to get our people interested in what we are offering. Telling them we have to win won’t suffice. We need to sell them on how we are going to win.

From now on, when talking to staff members, students, or anyone we lead, we must make sure we tell a story. Start by explaining “the why.” Kennedy did this with his opening remark:

“We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end as well as a beginning — signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.”

He then told everyone the “where we are now” part of the story:

“The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe — the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”

Then he explained in detail, the “where we need to go” part of the story:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge — and more.”

Each day, we have a story to share with those we lead. Let’s give it great thought and carefully select our words.

P.S. If you are in search of a book recommendation, our team at The Daily Coach highly recommends TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson. Since taking over TED in 2001, Anderson has shown how carefully crafted talks can be the key to unlocking empathy, spreading knowledge, and promoting a shared dream. Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience’s worldview; it can be more powerful than anything in written form. This “invaluable guide” explains how the miracle of powerful public speaking is achieved, and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula, but there are tools that can empower any speaker.

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