Speak Your Leader’s Language
Every leader has a unique dialect by which they communicate their ideas and expectations. In order to successfully interact with and convey your ideas to them, you must adopt their terminology, and not expect them to adapt to yours.
If you traveled to another country that didn’t speak your native language, you would certainly attempt to learn some of their language beforehand in order to navigate the area and make basic conversation. The same is true when dealing with those in leadership. Figure out their language and begin speaking it. The more common ground you establish with your leaders, the quicker they will identify you as someone worth investing time and money in. If you only focus on what you are passionate about, at the expense of understanding others’ ideas, you will alienate the very people you are trying to reach.
Listen first, speak later. Speaking rashly allows the tyranny of the moment to dictate what we say. We speak from a place of jealousy, pride, or fear. We do not listen with the intent to understand others and find common ground with them. The goal here is to guard our words. People who do not guard their mouths lack power because they lack self-control. Take your time, and choose your words wisely. It will save you a lot of regret and back-tracking to fix the damage you have caused with your brash responses.
People who do not guard their mouths lack power because they lack self-control.
When you listen, you learn how to speak in your leaders’ language, and when you respond in kind, you will make a stronger connection with them. If you want to be a person of influence among your leaders, be supportive of them and look for ways to make their ideas come to life. Discover their distinctive dialects and identify their fundamental values. Adopt them as your own and watch your influence grow.
