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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
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NEW ARTICLE: 5 Things All Leaders Must Do At The Start Of The Day

The article: 5 THINGS ALL LEADERS MUST DO AT THE START OF THE DAY is the next article by David G. Guerra. In this article David discusses what he sees as the 5 things all leaders must do just before and at the start of the business day. While a leader must wear many hats there are some that are non-negotiable. These five things are not the only thing a leader must do everyday but it is a foundation to being a great leader of which showing up is most certainly at the top of any list.

Read this brief 1200 word article and if you are so inclined there is an option to download the article in PDF format.

click here to read: 5 THINGS ALL LEADERS MUST DO AT THE START OF THE DAY

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My 5 Predictions for 2018 by David Guerra

As with every new year come the inevitable predictions for what people believe will happen in that new year. So why not me? I have a voice, a platform, and a soap box. I have as much right as the next guy to be wrong.  I also have the same right as the next guy to correct in making my predictions for 2018.

Here are my top 5 Predictions for 2018.

#1 PERSONAL GROWTH

 
All throughout my life I have heard people say, “Ad nauseam”, how they are doing things for themselves and for the better yet never actually work on it. When they see that others have caught them not delivering on those words they wait a while (usually until the heat (of being caught) dies down) and then come back swinging with the same old and very tired line.
 
I believe that 2018 will be the defining moment for many to step up to a new plane of thinking, believing, living and behaving. They will finally realize that by just saying the words nothing magical will happen. The only magic is the magic they make for themselves.
 
Making magic always has been and always will be through hard work. The kind of hard work that comes from thinking you are doing hard work only to realize you could do more. It is like believing you are giving 100% but come to find out you have another 10% to give. There is no such thing as giving 110%! There is the realization that you are shortchanging everyone by only giving 90% but claiming something more.
 
This is a long shot but I do believe that in 2018 people will start to measure their life on what they are DOING and not on their past.

#2 VIRTUAL REALITY / AUGMENTED REALITY

A new world awaits all of us. Imagine putting on a headset and instantly you are standing in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. You are looking up then you look to your left and next to you is an old long lost flame. Someone you had no seen in years. You say hello and that long lost love looks at you and smiles. You catch up on your respective lives since breaking up so long ago. You do so feeling safe the two of you are not in Paris, physically you are at home, and your old flame is at home a couple of thousand miles away.

Next you are instantly transported to the great pyramid of Cheops. Now you are standing next to your significant other who also happens to be in the very next room and virtually you go off exploring one of the seven wonders of the world.

While we are not there yet, in 2018 Virtual Reality and/or Augmented Reality technology will take significant leaps and bound to make the previous two paragraphs a near reality. In 2017, the price of VR headsets dropped to a level that now any kid that mows a couple of lawns can afford her own journey to the foot of the Eiffel Tower or a train ride from England to France in the “Chunnel” (look it up). By Christmas time, we will start to see software packages that promise to take us on the tour of the Gobi Desert or we will swim through the reefs of the South Pacific Ocean. While we might not be completely convinced we are there but you just wait and see.

Oh, yes rest assured we are living in the future. A future where the line between science fiction and science fact become blurred with each passing day.

3. PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

In 2018, people will focus more on making and participating in experiences. Fun, Travel, Adventure will rule the day in 2018. This will not be limited to millennials and the younger generations but everyone Gen X, Gen Y, Baby Boomers. These experiences will not be limited to traveling halfway across the planet but down the street, the next town over and so on.

Additionally, the experiences will not just be solo adventures but as a collective. Friends, Strangers and Family members. Shared experiences creates a common bond. Soon strangers are friends. Family bonds are strengthen and friends become family. Yes, it works that way.

The change from hearing about it to doing will take a huge surge in 2018 and I do expect it to carry over to 2019 and beyond.

4. TECHNOLOGY: PREDICTIVE AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)

We already have Siri, Alexa, Google Home. Soon Microsoft will join the voice based artificial intelligence battlefield. Battlefield? In 2018, you smart phone, tablet, and voice device will become more intuitive and predictive. Imagine your smart phone telling you thinks like, “I see you are the grocery store, it has been two weeks since you purchased red wine, it might be time for a new bottle of Lambrusco” or recommending it is time for an oil change and presenting you the top three deals in your geographic area. That sounds pretty simple but as AI technology continues to advance so will the predictive capabilities of the system.

What I see is AI technology not only reminding us of upcoming anniversaries and birthdays but working with us to tell us the conditions exist that our automobile is facing a unique stress as gas mileage is low and then telling us that our diet is seriously low in potassium and a leg cramp is coming. Then things will only get better. However, at what cost?

For true PREDICTIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE to work we have to give something up. We have to give up a bit more of our unique privacy. We have to allow the “machines” to go deeper into our lives. Are we prepared to give up more than we already have to have the unique “customized” experience that the future promises to bring?

5. People Will Evolve: (Because Change Said So)

No matter how difficult it is for people to want to change, they will change. Whether they like it or not, people will change. They have to change and 2018 will be no exception. However, what will be different this year, I see people will want to actively and purposefully seek out change. Why the active need to change?

We are well into the 21st Century and times are changing. Whether for better or worse, these times they are changing and attitudes are changing. When it comes to changing attitudes, the only way to do so is to get up and do it. As the world changes, it is those that refuse to change that will get left behind. Being left behind is not a good thing especially when

As we move faster and further into the 21st Century the only thing that will remain the same is change. 2018 and beyond will be nothing but change, for everyone. Now is the time to get to work because if you do come along for the great ride that 2018 is already promising to give all of use. I cannot wait to see what happens at the end of the year and witness, firsthand, how far or how close we get to the future.

 

As always, if you questions please feel free to reach out and contact me.

by David G. Guerra, MBA
Author of “The Walking Leader” and “Great To Follow”
twitter: @DaveGuerra
instagram: dave_guerra