Page 285 - Fearless Leadership

272 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

A marketing vice president known for his penchant for details, said to
his group: “Our market share has dropped 21 percent in the past two years.
I am going to review the specific changes we are making to address this
issue.” Leaders often become mired in the details of a challenge or prob-
lem and forget the larger purpose. But it is purpose that drives people to
do something differently, not information alone. In this example, the vice
president provided information. But this is useful only if the context has
already been established. By themselves information-only messages do not
inspire people to take up arms and fight the battle. Context is not some-
thing you can communicate once and then forget. You must continually
communicate the context at every opportunity so people remain connected
to the larger mission.
Most leaders have been taught the conventional and often tedious
approach of presenting their message by stating: “Here’s the problem,
here’s what we’ve done in the past, and here’s what we’re going to do in
the future.” But the message is not compelling. People are not inspired by
information alone. They are inspired by your courage, your stand, and
your willingness to be authentic and real.
A CEO faced with an aggressive competitor who was encroaching on
the company’s market share said to her leadership group: “I didn’t see the
urgency of a problem that many of you have been talking about. Our com-
petitors are breathing down our necks and whittling away at our market
share. I now clearly see what is happening and what we need to do, and we
are going to act quickly. This is my stand: We will outsmart our competi-
tors, we will outmaneuver them, and we will take back what we have lost,
plus more. I don’t have all the answers, but I know I have your partnership
and you have my commitment. We will be the market leaders and be known
as the best in our industry. Now let’s talk about how we will do this.”
The CEO’s message was authentic and powerful because she con-
nected with her leaders on an emotional level. She rallied them by tak-
ing accountability for not acting quickly and by taking a bold stand that
was both decisive and inspiring. Finally, she elevated the context and
reconnected leaders to the larger mission: being the best. Her message is
an example of a context that instills urgency and galvanizes people to fight
the foe together.