“Come on, let’s go.”

“Please, we have to do better.” 

“Come on, let’s ball.” 

If you use any of these sentences while leading your team, it’s time to change your vocabulary. Leaders never plead. They teach, instruct, demand and inform. They have an arsenal of words at their disposal, allowing them to demand without having to beg. Pleading is the ultimate sign of weakness, indicating the leader doesn’t know how to motivate, inspire or make his/her players improve. In addition to pleading, when leaders try to use a youthful vocabulary, like in the third sentence above, they look awkward, out of touch and severely disingenuous. 

Leaders must find their own convincing voice, not in volume level, but in how they instruct, teach and motivate. The rhythm of their words matters, and they cannot choose phrases that weaken their knowledge base. Begging for those to change instead of telling them how to change demonstrates limited knowledge from the leader, making him/her appear weak. How can leaders expect different results if they beg for a change and plead for something new without explaining how to actually achieve it? 

When words become simplistic, pleading for help creates a vacuum of knowledge that those around them will adopt. People love to copy how the leader talks, and when pleading becomes the go-to choice, everyone in the culture will being doing the same before long. If you have nothing to say, you’re better off saying nothing than reverting to pleading words as you attempt to persuade your team.

How we construct our sentences has a huge impact on those we lead. By being deliberate with structured questions and statements, we can create important and impactful moments for those who follow. We must work hard to understand the language we use is as important as the talent we recruit. The words we use define us and convey to others who we are. Therefore, we have to find the ones that best fit our own personalities. 

Don’t plead. 

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