Leading Through Language E-Book

Bart Egnal

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 328

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Become a more effective leader--cut the jargon and say what you mean Leveraging. Strategizing. Opening the kimono. Unlocking human capital. Trying to nail that BHAG. All on a go forward basis. These are only a few examples of the jargon-ridden language that is too often the mainstay of business communication. Jargon frustrates, confuses, and generally alienates listeners. Yet it's also everywhere, and using it can often seem like a mandatory requirement for anyone who wants to establish credibility in a professional workplace. To be an effective leader, you must be brave enough to be the first to drop jargon in favor of simple, coherent language. This can be difficult if you've spent years immersed in business culture, but Leading Through Language will show just how much you've come to rely on jargon, why it's holding you back, and how to trim it away to more effectively convey information and ideas. * Understand why jargon is reviled, yet ubiquitous * Learn why "business speak" gets in the way of business * Discover what kind of language influences and inspires others * Convey ideas with clarity, energy, and conviction * Approach all communication as an act of leadership Communication often falls by the wayside in favor of more measurable data-backed performance metrics; but good communication has the power to improve metrics in every area of an organization. Leading Through Language is the business world's much-needed guide to true leadership communication, showing you how to eliminate idle talk and master compelling communication.

Leseprobe

Leading Through Language

Choosing Words That Influence and Inspire

Bart Egnal

Copyright © 2016 by Bart Egnal. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Egnal, Bart, 1979- author.

Title: Leading through language : choosing words that influence and inspire / Bart Egnal.

Description: Hoboken : Wiley, 2015. | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015036888 | ISBN 9781119087717 (hardback) | ISBN 9781119087731 (ebk) | ISBN 9781119087755 (ebk) | ISBN 9781119176602 (ebk)

Subjects: LCSH: Business communication. | Business–Language. | Leadership. | BISAC: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership.

Classification: LCC HF5718 .E36 2015 | DDC 658.4/5–dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015036888

Cover Design: Michael J. Freeland

Cover Image: © iStock.com / heibaihui

Dedicated to my wife, Emily Mather, and my son, Kye Egnal, whose words and love inspire me every day.

CONTENTS

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

STORY 1: “AM I BEING FIRED?”

STORY 2: “WE WANT HER OFF OUR ACCOUNT TEAM”

STORY 3: “WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU SAYING?”

THE RAMIFICATIONS OF JARGON

JARGON IS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORKPLACE

IF YOU WANT TO LEAD AT WORK, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU

THE HUMPHREY GROUP

HOW THIS BOOK IS STRUCTURED

ABOUT THE EXAMPLES

SUMMARY

NOTE

PART I THE MANY FACES OF JARGON

INTRODUCTION TO PART I: WHY DOES JARGON EXIST AND WHY SHOULD LEADERS CARE?

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE SPURNED JARGON

RESPECTED CORPORATE LEADERS ALSO SKIP THE JARGON

BUT THERE ARE

SOME

BENEFITS TO JARGON…

THE MANY FACES – AND CONSEQUENCES – OF USING JARGON

WHY JARGON EXISTS: THE SPECTRUM

SUMMARY

NOTE

1 YOU MUST START WITH LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

THE LINK BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION

START BY CONSCIOUSLY LOOKING AT LANGUAGE THROUGH THE LENS OF LEADERSHIP

SUMMARY

NOTE

2 THE (FEW) BENEFITS OF JARGON

WHERE DO “EXPEDIENCY” AND “SHARED IDENTITY” JARGON SIT ON THE JARGON SPECTRUM?

EFFICIENCY: JARGON THAT SERVES AS “VERBAL SHORTHAND”

SIGNALING CREDIBILITY

CREATING A SHARED CULTURE

SUMMARY

NOTES

3 ASSUMPTION-DRIVEN JARGON

MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ON THE JARGON SPECTRUM

THE CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE

ACRONYMS AND OTHER SHORTHAND

ASSUMING UNDERSTANDING OF COMPLEX CONCEPTS

BEWARE GROUP ASSUMPTIONS AND THE POWER OF THE COLLECTIVE

SUMMARY

NOTES

4 INFLATION JARGON

INFLATION ON THE JARGON SPECTRUM

THE BETTER VERSION

THE UNNECESSARY ADD-ON

THE BAFFLING NOUN CLUSTER

SUMMARY

NOTES

5 LACK-OF–CLARITY JARGON

LACK OF CLARITY ON THE JARGON SPECTRUM

A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE HARD WORK OF THINKING

VULNERABLE TO EXPOSURE

WORDS OF THE DAY

SUMMARY

NOTES

6 OBFUSCATION JARGON

OBFUSCATION ON THE JARGON SPECTRUM

OBFUSCATION TO CONCEAL UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTHS

OBFUSCATION CAN BE USED TO AVOID OR DEFER CONFLICT

OBFUSCATION CAN BE USED TO CONFUSE AND MISLEAD

SOMETIMES OBFUSCATION IS UNINTENTIONAL

SUMMARY

NOTES

PART II USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTION TO PART II: USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP?

HOW TO USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

REPEATABLE COMMUNICATION METHODOLOGY

SUMMARY

7 ADOPT THE LEADER'S MINDSET

BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT LANGUAGE, ADOPT THE LEADER'S MINDSET

USING THE LEADER'S MINDSET IS A SKILL

SUMMARY

8 SCRIPT YOURSELF AS A LEADER

SCRIPTING YOURSELF AS A LEADER IS A SKILL YOU MUST DEVELOP

GET YOUR THINKING CLEAR WITH THE LEADER'S SCRIPT

SUMMARY

NOTE

9 USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

11 WAYS TO USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

GUIDELINES

SUMMARY

10 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…VISIONARY

USE ASPIRATIONAL WORDS

USE PRECISE LANGUAGE

USE WORDS THAT SHOW YOUR EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT

SUMMARY

NOTES

11 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…AUDIENCE-CENTRIC

BEING AUDIENCE-CENTRIC MEANS KNOWING WHO YOUR REAL AUDIENCE IS

LISTEN TO YOUR AUDIENCE SO YOU CAN CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS

BE READY TO SHIFT FROM ONE LEADERSHIP “DIALECT” TO THE NEXT

USE LANGUAGE THAT SHOWS YOU HAVE HEARD

SUMMARY

12 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS… JARGON-FREE

COMMIT TO USING THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP

REPLACE JARGON WITH SUBSTANCE

REMOVE UNNECESSARY OR MEANINGLESS JARGON

DEFINE WHAT IS LEFT OVER

BE VOCAL ABOUT DITCHING THE JARGON AND ENLIST OTHERS TO DO THE SAME

SUMMARY

NOTE

13 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS… AUTHENTIC

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS AUTHENTIC

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND THE WORDS YOU USE

AUTHENTIC LANGUAGE IS PERSONAL LANGUAGE

AUTHENTIC LANGUAGE BALANCES STRENGTH WITH VULNERABILITY

SUMMARY

14 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…PASSIONATE

EMBRACE PASSION

USE PASSION TO SUPPORT YOUR LEADERSHIP GOAL AND MESSAGE

EXPRESS YOUR PASSION OPENLY

SUMMARY

NOTES

15 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…CONFIDENT

THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS CONFIDENT

GET CLEAR BEFORE YOU GET CONFIDENT

COMMIT TO YOUR POSITION (DON'T HEDGE)

CHOOSE WORDS THAT REFLECT YOUR ACTUAL LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE

BE CONFIDENT, NOT ARROGANT

ELIMINATE THE MINCING MODIFIERS

SUMMARY

16 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…POSITIVE

THE IMPACT OF NEGATIVES IS GREATER THAN POSITIVES

ACKNOWLEDGE NEGATIVES THE RIGHT WAY

MOVE FROM NEGATIVES TO POSITIVES

KNOW THAT THERE IS ALWAYS A POSITIVE

SUMMARY

NOTES

17 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…DIRECT

YOUR AUDIENCES WANT YOU TO BE DIRECT

BE READY FOR – AND COMFORTABLE WITH – SOME CONFLICT

BE DIRECT, NOT BLUNT

AS ALWAYS, BE AUDIENCE-CENTRIC

SUMMARY

NOTES

18 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS…CONCISE

AUDIENCES CRAVE CLARITY – AND BREVITY

LEADERS ARE CONCISE

THE BEST WAY TO BE CONCISE

LEADERS STRIP OUT THE FILLERS

SKIP THE MEANINGLESS PREAMBLES

SUMMARY

NOTES

19 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS… PROFESSIONAL

KNOW WHAT CONSTITUTES PROFESSIONAL IN YOUR WORKPLACE AND OCCUPATION

BE PROFESSIONAL, NOT CASUAL

BE PROFESSIONAL, NOT FORMAL

BEWARE PROFANITY

SUMMARY

NOTES

20 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP USES…RHETORIC

MATCH THE SOUND: ALLITERATION

REPEAT AFTER ME: ANAPHORA, ANAPHORA, ANAPHORA

IT'S ALL IN THE CONTRAST: ANTITHESIS

JUST TO EXAGGERATE, USE A LITTLE: HYPERBOLE

LET ME PAINT A PICTURE FOR YOU: METAPHOR

SUMMARY

NOTES

CONCLUSION

CHOOSE TO LEAD, THEN SPEAK AS A LEADER

IT'S TIME TO LEAD

NOTES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BART EGNAL, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, THE HUMPHREY GROUP INC.

INDEX

EULA

List of Tables

Chapter 4

Table 4.1

Table 4.2

Chapter 18

Table 18.1

List of Illustrations

Part I

Figure I.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Chapter 2

Figure 2.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Chapter 3

Figure 3.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Chapter 4

Figure 4.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Chapter 5

Figure 5.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Figure 5.2

The Jargon Matchup Game.

Chapter 6

Figure 6.1

The Jargon Spectrum.

Part II

Figure II.1

Three Steps to Speaking Like a Leader.

Chapter 7

Figure 7.1

Three Steps to Thinking Like a Leader.

Chapter 8

Figure 8.1

Three Steps to Thinking Like a Leader.

Figure 8.2

The Leader's Script®.

Chapter 9

Figure 9.1

Three Steps to Thinking Like a Leader.

Chapter 12

Figure 12.1

Logos.

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Preface

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