Page 139 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

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at the selection of the presidential candidate and the candidate’s address to the
group and the nation. These are moments with a time-honored tradition. Con-
sider them as part of the liturgy of the organization. They are rooted in the cul-
ture of the event. Therefore, leaders must know their meaning and abide by
their significance. Here are some considerations to keep in mind.
Use symbols. Symbols are metaphors for organizational values. In our
CHAPTER 8 DELIVERING THE MESSAGE 117
legal system, the judge wields a gavel to begin and adjourn sessions
and to call for order. The gavel is a symbol of power, of coming
together for a joint purpose. The range of symbols is endless. In sports,
the Stanley Cup, which is given to the winner of the National Hockey
League playoff series, is a potent symbol. One at a time, players and
coaches skate around the rink hoisting the cup over their heads in vic-
tory, sharing the moment with the fans. The name of each player and
coach is engraved on the base of the trophy. And in a spirit of genuine
celebration, each member of the team gets to keep the cup for 48 hours.
Traditionally players take it to their hometown and have a party so that
all the player’s friends and relatives can share in the moment. In recent
years, the cup has traveled to Europe to the hometowns of players from
Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Russia. This gesture brings the tradi-
tion of the NHL to other hockey-playing nations and demonstrates the
international spirit of the game.
Dress the hall. Gatherings of people mean more when the room is
“dressed” for the occasion. Create an environment that will remind
people of the strengths of the organization and why they should care
about it. The room may contain nothing more than a banner with a
logo, or it may be dressed to the nines with pennants, banners, video
walls, and product displays.
Choose your clothes carefully. Wear something that is appropriate to
the expectations of the audience. Mother Teresa adapted her nun’s habit
to local custom. The white garment trimmed with blue served a dual
purpose: It symbolized both her commitment to her religious faith and
her order, the Missionaries of Charity, and her solidarity with her
adopted land, India. Hamid Karzai, the leader of the post-Taliban
Afghan state, uses his manner of dress to make a similar statement. He
combines a Western suit with the colors, capes, and headwear of his
native land.
Closer to home, a union boss addressing a group of hardhats is best
off not wearing a tie, the symbol of management. Likewise, a politician
who wants to curry union votes will don a jacket emblazoned with a
union logo. This is not a jacket that he would wear in a corporate setting.