Impromptu

3Be Intent on Leading

Good impromptu speaking is a matter of words, scripts, and presence. But before those words can be selected or scripts formed, there is a need to bring the right mind‐set. And that's what this section of the book is all about. The right mind‐set includes having the intention to lead, being a good listener, and being authentic, focused, and respectful. Get your outlook right, and you'll find the other pieces will fall into place.

The most successful executives and managers see every encounter as a potential leadership moment. In this new world of spontaneous communications, an opportunity to lead might come at any moment, in any situation, at any level, to anyone in the organization. Each time you meet another employee, colleague, executive, customer, supplier, or business associate there is a potential “leadership moment”—a moment to influence, inspire, or move others to action.

But you must have the intention to lead. This involves the desire to move others by shaping their opinions, influencing their actions, or just connecting with them on a human level and making them feel better about their workplace or their lives. Seizing these opportunities means, above all, realizing the potential of your own leadership and the ever‐present opportunity to have an impact on others. And in a world where the majority of employees say they are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their jobs and “emotionally disconnected” from their workplaces, there is every ...