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Question of the Week: COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL LEADERS?


The Walking Leader (dot) com’s Weekly Leadership Poll Question for this week (09/29 – 10/05) is: COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL LEADERS? (click here to answer)

Communication is the only priority. When it comes to leaders becoming leaders, staying leaders, and making new leaders communication is king. By this I mean there is no other form that will convey the message and sustain the message greater than communication.

Communication in all its forms is what drives leadership.

Whether it be written or spoken, the message of the leader to her followers and the message of the followers to the leader must be clear, concise, well read, understood and can be acted upon with impunity then the conveyance of the message is success. Why with impunity?

Impunity is defined as the “exception from punishment or freedom from the injures consequences of inaction“. Thus when the message is clear, concise and understood, there should be no worries about what actions need to be taken, as there is no misunderstanding. Unfortunately, not all forms of communications are this way. Most messages are riddled with ambiguity and most of all uncertainty. It’s a miracle any work gets done at all.

So, as the leader must lead by example it falls upon the leader to deliver any message (in any format) in a manner that the message is understood and can be acted upon. It is when a leader fails to deliver that caliber of message that the followers cannot act on the message. When open ended questions are asked the answers will vary almost to the level of missing the point of the question altogether and that is when the ambiguity and the uncertainty creeps in.

It falls on the leaders, all leaders at all levels of the organization, to ensure that they work on improving their communication skills. Whether it is practicing your speeches, practicing and honing their writing skills, or creating better graphics they have the responsibility to ensure the message is understood.

Of course, there are applications and software packages that will change text or create better looking designs but where is the leader learning to improve? If the leader turns over those functions of communication to a software package and washes his hands of personally improving the content then how is that leader getting better? The leader is not getting better.

The leader got into a position of leadership begin by doing the dirty work and the leader must continue to do that to dirty work even if it means cracking open a thesaurus, every once in awhile. Therefore, the leader must do everything he or she can to improve themselves personally and professionally. If they have to give the speech how are they going to get better there are no applications for that? What there is, is standing up in front of a mirror and practicing and speech over and over again.

Because the message is so important, communication IS a Top Priority. As I mentioned, Communication is what put the leaders in that position they are now. Communicating is what will keep them there. Communicating is how they will make new future leaders. And again as always, that is nonnegotiable!

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David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
twitter: @daveguerra
instagram: dave_guerra
facebook: thedavidguerra

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blog Change Decisionmaking Inspiration Leadership Leadership Principles Mentor Motivation Walking Leader Writing

An Observation on Change by David Guerra for January 2, 2019

As I have been talking about, referring to, advocating, screaming at, looking over the horizon yet only to fall on deaf ears.

CHANGE is here. CHANGE is happening. CHANGE is not going away. CHANGE is a permanent party to life. A constant companion one would say. Change is a lot like the tide. It is constantly rises and falls. The tide is the epitome of change, as it is ALWAYS transitioning from one form to another. As obvious as it is, it must be written in hopes that it will sink in: Change is Fluid.
drifting with the tide

Far too many, while hating change, will give in and ride it out. Their idea of change is drifting with the tide. Yet, when they swim out too far then the fear sets in. Fear sets in because people are taken by surprise when they suddenly realize they have gone too far out to sea. The undertow has taken them to the point of losing sight of the shore.

They start to scramble and look for someone to blame. Someone to blame? Yes, people reach out scrambling for a lifeline when there is none to be had. Fumbling in the water like a fish caught on dry land is sad and comical. Yet, those that are looking for safety of the shore also look for others to step on, push down, or grab hold only to suffocate and drown because both are now too far out to make it back.

Then there are those rare few that will drift with the tide long enough to no go out too far, yet enjoy the struggle of getting back. Unfortunately, they are also the ones that will tax others as they make their way ashore.

Folks, the only way to avoid getting caught so far offshore is to avoid drifting with the tide. However, if your idea of change is to drift with the tide, then learn to love the undertow. Because once you are too far out, you have to work your own way back in to shore. Yes, you have to put in the work before, during, and after change.

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David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
twitter: @daveguerra
instagram: dave_guerra
facebook: thedavidguerra

Categories
blog Change Decisionmaking Inspiration Leadership Mentor Motivation Walking Leader Writing

An Observation on Change by David Guerra for January 1, 2019

2019. This time around and the calendar has changed. A new day has begun. A there is a wild sense of something new. Something Exciting. Most of all, something good.

JOHN W. GARDNER is quoted as saying: “Pity the leader caught between unloving critics and uncritical lovers.

John W Gardner quote as seen on Dave Guerra dot com

I like it. I like it so much that this now becomes one of my defining benchmarks of when change is needed, necessary, created, initiated, started, made, and/or acted upon.

This quote is the realization of when it is time to initiate change. To me this quote is telling my that I have reached a neutrality, center, neither right or left, nor up or down. Right smack in the middle. YIKES!!! While it feels like I am appeal to everyone, no one is telling me whether I am good or bad. Some nights it is even difficult to hear the crickets. Now that is the epitome of radio silence.

The Time To Execute Is NOW!

When you find yourself at the center of these two points in life then and only then should you take the reins on change. Good or bad, it does not matter what does matter is that change must happen. Sure you can try to control it but in the end change controls you.

Change does one better in that it has a knack of speeding your heart rate. While lack of change also controls you. All that lack of change really does is to turn an open wound gangrenous and make it most suitable for amputation. How do you like that for change? I didn’t think so.

See the edge, look over, and take that dive!

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David G. Guerra, MBA
email: [email protected]
twitter: @daveguerra
instagram: dave_guerra
facebook: thedavidguerra