Leadership Demands Clarity

We have such a tendency to overcomplicate and undercommunicate. 

Every organization has its own jargon and commonly used phrases which get thrown around like everyone memorized a company dictionary on day one of orientation. 

Mix in the fact that words have different meanings in different organizations, industries or contexts…and you quickly learn that Googling doesn’t help that much. Equally unhelpful is how often different departments within the same organization use the same words but each mean something different.

Leadership demands clarity. 

We need clarity and we need to provide clarity to our teams. 

When we don’t stop to make sure everyone knows what we are talking about and are just throwing the newest business buzzwords around, we are providing the IKEA assembly manual approach to leadership—lots of words in multiple languages, some confusing diagrams, a few missing pieces and in the end we are all a little lopsided or aren’t 100% functional. 

And don’t get me started on the undefined acronyms! 

We assume everyone knows what we mean when we say, “We need to leverage our synergies and get our KPIs back on track, so let’s circle back after we have an opportunity to ideate some blue-sky thinking so we can really move the needle.” 

What? What are you saying? 

Here is where I will be a bit vulnerable. There was a time when some of this nonsense left me feeling dumb. Some of it just sounded like some kind of business equivalent to rocket surgery, and I just wasn’t smart or educated enough to “get it” without a little Googling—and even then I would sometimes get vague or conflicting answers. 

So, in case no one has told you...

It’s okay if you don’t really know what “value-add propositions” or “north star” metrics are the first (or hundredth) time you hear them. 

You didn’t know what your boss meant when they said, “We need a plan for our digital transformation strategy by EOW?” 

Yeah, you aren’t alone. 

Yet rarely does anyone say anything. Because to ask, “What the hell are you saying?” makes you feel like you are the one who is lacking.

No. You’re not.

What is lacking is basic communication skills. 

If the people around you don’t really, really fully understand you, how can you expect them to fully meet expectations? And how can we hold our people accountable for missing the mark when we didn’t communicate clearly what the mark is? 

None of us are intentionally creating confusion and not providing the clarity that is needed…unless you are one of those truly psycho bosses. It has just become the “norm” to communicate with our organization’s “corporatese.” 

Here is your challenge: Stop it. Leadership demands clarity.

So what can you do to make sure you are providing the clarity that leadership demands? It’s time to hold up that metaphorical mirror and really consider how and what we are communicating. 

Try this:

Consider your words. 

Not sure if it is common knowledge? Go ask your spouse or best friend or family member who isn’t in your industry. 

Run a couple of your sentences by them and see if they also nod politely, which you internally translate as “Oh wow, he is SO smart with all the words!” when in reality, they don’t know what you are saying. 

And when you have new people join your team, pay extra attention. Nothing makes team members feel more isolated than to feel like they are lost in a foreign place and don’t speak the language. 

Lead by example. 

When someone says something that isn’t clear or tosses half the alphabet in a string of acronyms crammed into one sentence, ask them to clarify. Show your team that is okay to not know. And when you don’t know, it is good to ask. Then, next time you say something they don’t fully understand, they will know it is okay to ask for clarification. 

Remember that success occurs when all team members move together toward the same goal. 

That requires clarity. Clarity of the goal. Clarity of the expectations for each individual. Clarity of how we are going to reach the goal. 

Set your team up for next-level success by focusing on clarity. Effective leadership demands it.