What makes one person hold an audience whilst someone else sends them to sleep? Why does one person’s interpretation of a play enthral whilst another is panned by the critics? In many instances, borrowing a catchphrase from the late Frank Carson, it’s down to “the way I tell ‘em.”
The fact that the way in which the message is delivered can completely change its impact is something that many leaders would do well to learn. But getting the delivery right is far more than pausing in the right place or using the right tone of voice. What distinguishes top performers from everyone else is their understanding of the importance of knowing their audience.
Tell the same joke, deliver the same speech, in exactly the same way to different audiences and you will get different reactions. The best performers will not only be able to tweak what they are to say in advance depending on the expected audience but also be able to judge reactions and make slight changes as they go along. For business leaders in reality this means that the same message may have to be delivered in one way to the stock exchange or financial press and in quite different ways to different departments within the organisation.
But there is one further way in which the impact of the message can be modified and that is from the audiences own understanding of and reaction to the personality of the speaker. When we know little of the person then our initial reaction to the speech prevails. The more we are aware of the person, the more we will instinctively colour what is said with our existing prejudices. This means that business leaders cannot get away with acting in one way and speaking in another. When the personality and behaviour of the leadership affects employees on an everyday basis, what is said will be judged in the light of past examples.
In other words, if you want your employees to be more mindful of customer needs then it doesn’t really matter what you say unless you back up your words by slanting your own actions, behaviours and expectations in the same direction. Similarly, if you are looking to instil a culture of innovation which values failure as a learning point then don’t go around castigating people for making mistakes.
Those who are looking to lead their organisations towards a strong future know that true leadership is far more than simply giving instruction. Understanding the audience, delivering the message in a way which will resonate with that audience is part of the solution but so too is demonstrating through your own actions the behaviours and attitudes which you are asking of others. To be a true leader, your people have to believe in you and they will only do that when you lead by example.
Is it ‘the way you tell them’? Well yes it is, but only if your words are authentic, are backed up by your actions and are delivered in the light of a deep knowledge and understanding of your people. If you would like to explore leadership issues further feel free to email Derek at derek.bishop@cultureconsultancy.com or visit www.cultureconsultancy.com
