Speak Boldly...or forever hold your peace
by David Casullo
The most effective leaders know when (and how) to use bold, direct words to get their point across.
My wife and I were watching "To Kill a Mockingbird" the other evening. I was feeling guilty because our daughter Sara was explaining the story as we prepared to watch and it occurred to me that I never read the book - required reading in my high school - nor had I ever bothered to watch the movie – a classic. It seems most everyone my age has not only read the book and watched the movie, they cherished both.
Anyway, check the box. And, by the way, the movie is a classic indeed.
My favorite line was when Gregory Peck, Atticus, a small town lawyer in the prejudiced depression-era south was giving his closing arguments to the exclusively white male jury. He passionately explained that the humble defendant, Tom Robinson, an African-American, had the "...unmitigated temerity to feel sorry for a white woman." His intentional, and bold, sarcasm was meant to drive home his point – that Mr. Robinson genuinely wanted to help a white woman, the "victim," something that Atticus anticipated no white man on that jury in that era would have ever considered.
As a leader, Atticus took a bold action and made a very bold statement.
Although it didn’t overcome the jury’s deeply rooted preconceived prejudices, this comment certainly endeared Atticus to the all black audience in attendance on the second floor of the courtroom. It also reinforced the admiration his daughter had for him – and helped motivate Harper Lee to write this enormously influential masterpiece "To Kill a Mockingbird" has since become.
Great leaders know when to be direct and how to use language to make an important point. Ghandi once said to a violently charged following, "They may torture my body, break my bones, even kill me. Then they will have my dead body, but they will not have my obedience."
This is a learned skill. That’s the good news. The timing is the art.
So what constitutes the skill? At Bates Communications, our research has revealed that there are several key elements:
- Eye contact
- Gesturing
- Voice Inflection
- Pauses
Understanding, developing, and effectively using these skills is helpful. When it comes to the content of your bold statement:
- Preparation
- Simplification
- Practice, practice, practice
All these are imperative and primal.
When the content is set, and the delivery is mastered, then there is the art of the timing. This is what separates the best from the others. It’s what makes powerful leaders, contemporary and historical, like Ghandi so influential. Atticus knew his sarcastic, bold, well-timed words would slap the jury into consciousness, so he seized the opportunity to say what he was prepared to say.
Finally, it is important to point out that courage is ALWAYS present when speaking boldly. Leaders who are extraordinary know that game-changing opportunities to lead emerge infrequently and often unexpectedly. No matter, they seize them when they emerge not only because they are prepared but because they have the courage to say boldly what is necessary to get their point across. They say boldly what they mean. They are so convicted to their cause they can courageously look their teammate in the eye and tell him/her what is in their heart and on their mind – in a considerate yet powerfully succinct way. This is the difference.
Communicating as a leader is really the most powerful tool in your tool chest. You may be a brilliant strategist. You may know your business better than anyone else around you. You may have the sixth sense to see what is coming and know what needs to be done in advance. You may even have the courage to stand up and face any challenge head on. All this is not enough. If you cannot communicate what is inside you in a way that marshals the support of your troops, if you cannot speak your truth in a way that pierces through their layers of uncertainty, fear, and confusion, if you cannot touch the very hearts and souls of those who choose to follow you when they need it most, then you will not be counted among the best or the greatest. Most of the senior leaders I work with want to be the best. Communication skills are most often the one skill they MUST improve if they are to get there. As a leader, have the "unmitigated temerity" to boldly say what those who choose to follow you need to hear.
David Casullo is President of Bates Communications, a leading executive coaching firm in Wellesley, MA. His passion is developing leaders who have the courage and capability to change the world. His methods ensure that leaders remember what is important by helping clarify values and recommit to behaving consistently, in alignment, with the "who that you are." He also has a proven process to clarify organizational values and communicate them effectively in a way that drives growth and top and bottom line results. David’s experience helping others has consistently been recognized as remarkable. His style is quickly engaging, refreshingly genuine, and one that promotes trustworthiness immediately. His experience as a successful business leader and entrepreneur give him credibility with executive leaders in the C-suite as well as with emerging leaders in key roles throughout organizations. Dave can be reached at dcasullo@bates-communications.com