Page 31 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader

22 THE SPEAKING GAME

3. Do you have the chops to play in the same arena with other poten-
tial alpha dogs? Do you have the kind of commitment it takes
to play for higher stakes and go the distance?

If you can pass this little quiz, then you are a player. But to be a win-
ner, you have to master certain truths.
First, I would tell you: worker bees deal in information; leaders deal

in knowledge. For example, the floor worker will tell you how many
units she assembles on a given day. The team or division leader will
gather that information to create a knowledge bucket that explores
possible new game changers, such as improved manufacturing tech-
niques, product development, and potential new markets.
Leaders understand that the gap between idea and action is
huge. President John Kennedy used to complain that even as presi-
dent he had a tough time making things happen—and this is com-
ing from one of our most articulate presidents ever. So leaders know
they can’t sit still. If they expect action, they know they have to
bridge the gap.
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Leaders know that they are always selling not only their ideas, but
also their organizations and themselves. Great leaders create a party
line around themselves, a marquis message that everybody can rally
behind. Some, like Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates of Microsoft, and

Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, get so good at all three that
they actually become the company and a brand name themselves. In
the end, they become the vision itself.
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I would also tell you that if you plan to lead people in a common

corporate or political cause, you first have to own the hearts. Get the
hearts, and the minds follow.
To do that, the best leaders share critical best leadership com-
munications practices. Among other things they: