Leading Through Language

13 THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP IS… AUTHENTIC

Indra had just been promoted to Vice President of Exploration at a major global mining company, and she was nervous. She knew she was qualified for the job – over the course of a 15-year career, she had built an impressive reputation for being able to analyze ore bodies in ways that had led her company to expand reserves and extend the life of many of its properties. In the often rough world of mining, Indra had earned respect at the many sites she flew into by being a “no-BS” kind of person. She spoke with passion, conviction, and wasn't above using some not-for-print words to make her points with emphasis. It worked well with the mines' general managers whom she needed to convince, and over the years she'd built strong relationships at the sites and operations level.

Yet Indra was nervous because, for the first time, she would have to present an exploration strategy to the company's board. She'd done a dry run with her COO, who had given her some feedback.

“Indra,” he said, “your presentation is sound – your numbers are locked in, your recommendations are great, but you need to deliver it with more polish.”

When she pressed him to explain what “polish” meant, he elaborated, “You need to drop the casual language and sound more corporate. You can't be saying, ‘I wouldn't touch that deposit if you paid me.’ You need to use language that sounds executive-like. And you'd better not use any swear words! I know you do that when you chat ...