Impressively Meaningless

During the most recent winter storm to hit the southeast, I heard an interview with a North Carolina state official: “We’ve already put 2.7 million gallons of brine and 15 tons of salt on the roads.” Impressive! Or is it? The truth is that these sound like huge quantities, but I have no context by which to judge them. The goal is road safety and the quick recovery of mobility, not big numbers. This illustrates a trap that leaders can easily fall into – the expertise trap. Your knowledge in some areas far exceeds that of those you are leading. It may be about the Bible or homelessness in your area. The topic could be the latest research on personal or community transformation. That knowledge is significant in the decisions that you make, but it won’t be significant to others unless they have a context that connects to their lives. Why do leaders fall into this trap? Sometimes they are trying to prove themselves. When they convey impressive statistics, it causes others to say, “Wow!” At its root, this is a sign of a leader who is not completely secure in his or her role and is relying on expertise to keep the upper hand. In other cases, the leader may simply have not thought about the audience that is hearing the communication. He or she is wrapped up in the facts and forgets the real goal. The best leaders realize that communication is one of the most powerful tools that they have. Every time that they speak publicly, whether to a small or a large group, they have an opportunity to shape perceptions and move the organization another step toward its mission. Think about that before you dump a lot of salt on your organization. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>