What the Best Leaders Say Issue 9 Strategy discussions often revolve around the search for the next big idea. When performance stalls or alignment loosens, leadership teams frequently respond by changing the strategy in search of that big idea. Yet in many organizations the deeper problem is not the absence of a new idea. It is that the existing one has never been refined enough to guide decisions. This essay explores a pattern visible in companies as different as Yahoo, IKEA, Google, and...
1 day ago • 10 min read
Look at any message that actually moved people. You will find the same four properties every time. Plain and simple so people understand it immediately.Actionable so they know what it means for them.Transformative so something actually changes.Heartfelt so people believe it. Conveniently, the four spell PATH. Once you see the pattern, it feels almost embarrassingly obvious. Which makes this hard to explain: Why is it so rare? You would expect to see it everywhere.Strangely, you don’t. Most...
3 days ago • 1 min read
Here is something most leadership communication advice completely ignores: The higher you rise as a leader, the harder it becomes to say things plainly. Which has nothing to do with skill. The reason is much simpler. And it hurts a little: Clarity creates consequences. Plain and simple words force a choice. If a CEO says: “We will exit this business within two years.” Everyone knows what that means. If they say: “We are exploring strategic alternatives to sharpen our portfolio.” Everyone can...
5 days ago • 1 min read
“I’m just not charismatic enough.”This thought has killed more careers than you’d believe. The problem is that it’s simply not true.Because it gets charisma upside down. Charisma is an effect, not a cause. It’s what people experience when they are in the same room with someone who is fully present. Who listens so intensely that they feel “this person really gets me”. Who gives you the feeling that nothing is more important right now than being here in this room with you. Who often says the...
9 days ago • 1 min read
If you could say exactly what you mean without worrying whether it sounds clever or impressive, what would you say? If you could let go of the judgment of others and tell the story the way you actually feel it, what would you say? If you could skip the selling and simply get to the point, what would you say? Why don’t you? Sometimes we just overthink it. Keep lighting the path,Michael __You’re reading What the Best Leaders Say, my reflections on finding words that drive action.If today’s...
10 days ago • 1 min read
I bet that not even a single Porsche has ever been sold because of the car’s specs. I mean, of course there are 100 good reasons for why a Porsche is a great car, especially one that’s better than a Nissan or a Mitsubishi. The only problem is that there are just as many good reasons that prove the opposite. The good reasons miss the point of buying a Porsche. This ad gets the point. People who buy a Porsche don’t buy it for the good reasons. They have very personal reasons for doing so. One...
11 days ago • 1 min read
You’ve built a great place to work. What more do they want? With your bold purpose the company should inspire them. They should appreciate the stability, the freedom, the growth paths. They should see how many extra miles leadership goes to “create belonging.” It’s super unfair, isn’t it? On paper, your team really should love working here. Plus, in the end, it’s also a professional agreement. Which it is. But professional agreements don’t override human nature. The thing is, loyalty is not...
12 days ago • 2 min read
As you might know, 42 is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything, at least according to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” The only problem is that nobody knows the question. Which couldn’t be more timely. We’re living in a time that’s obsessed with answers. Open any app or tune into any media and you’re bombarded with all kinds of answers on all kinds of questions you never asked. Even worse, when you do ask a question, you’ll get all sorts of answers...
18 days ago • 1 min read
By now, many of you have been through your annual strategy retreat. How did it go? Too often, this is what happens next: What hurts most is that everyone poured their heart into this. Didn’t you? You locked yourself away. You had good debates. Which turned into heated discussions. And still, you landed on something that feels really good. It’s logically sound. It’s brave. It’s clear. So what happened between the retreat and this chart? Often, I hear it’s an “execution problem”. I don’t buy...
19 days ago • 1 min read
