One of the Cabinet Secretaries the other day said something that elicited a debate on social media. The clergy has demanded an apology to Kenyans from the said CS. Language is a critical component in leadership for it builds the world we live in. A leader must understand that language is a resource that can be used to exercise effective leadership.
The words of a leader are critical and create meaning for the people being led. Research shows that words stimulate brain activity, the brain activity creates the mindset which then creates actions and behavior. The words you speak reveal who you are and how you act.
The way you speak represents your thoughts, character, feelings, and passion. It is no wonder the good book says that the power of life and death is in your tongue. Be very afraid of a leader whose words are regularly negative and unpalatable.
Spoken words are powerful and creative and you and every other person must be keen on the words that proceed from their mouth. It is a disaster to have a leader who has a loose mouth and closed ears.
The words and the tone a leader uses in their speaking are a reflection of their leadership style. Through language, we can easily tell if the style of leadership for a leader is transformational, transactional, situational, authoritarian, or participative. A transactional leader for instance will use words like if you do this or the other, then you will be rewarded with this or the other.
The words you regularly and consistently use describe who you are and how you ultimately act. If for instance you regularly use words like can’t or impossible there is a likelihood that you will not achieve much.
A leader must learn and practice speaking the right thing. They must learn to positively use words to lead. A leader must inspire and give hope to the people they are leading irrespective of the situation they are in. A leader must endeavor to create positive activities from negative situations.
Finally, this is not just for a leader but for you reading this article. Think for a moment about the words you speak to your spouse, children, family, and colleagues. What kind of person do they bring out? Do your words build or destroy? Do they influence positively or are destiny demoting words?
STOP SABOTAGING YOURSELF AND OTHERS THROUGH YOUR WORDS!
- Dissecting The Heart of Leadership.ISBN: 978-9914-40-296-4.
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- Growing A Business Empire: How to Effectively Manage Leadership Succession for Organizational Growth.ISBN:978-9966-8214-2-3.
- The Winning Strategy: How to use Strategic Planning to Build Effective Organizations.ISBN:978-9966-825-58-2
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Dr. Mary Mugo
Strategy, Leadership, and Governance Consultant.
We must always choose our words wisely. It is so embarrassing that our leaders have a tendency of having loose mouths, ready to talk anything without figuring it’s impact.
On the other end, can it be that the CS is being pressured to glorify GMOs and that’s why he is having a loose tongue to caution us in an indirect way?🤔
Hello Daktari can you kindly talk something on this GMO debate.
A leader’s language must be right irrespective of the circumstances they find themselves in.