Leading Through Language

Part I THE MANY FACES OF JARGON

INTRODUCTION TO PART I: WHY DOES JARGON EXIST AND WHY SHOULD LEADERS CARE?

Anyone who wishes to lead – to inspire others to act – must approach communication with conscious intention. Anyone who wishes to lead must treat every interaction, from a town hall meeting to a conference call, as a chance to reach audiences and move them to act. And anyone who wishes to lead through communication must think consciously about language and, in particular, the language that many use as a default in the world of work – jargon.

Jargon has always fascinated me – yet it also puzzled me. When I embarked upon this project, I had many questions about jargon that I had been wrestling with for some years. Specifically:

• Why does jargon exist, particularly since most people loathe it?
• What are the benefits and consequences of using jargon?
• Should leaders use jargon and, if so, what kind?

Having spent over a decade teaching leadership communication skills to managers and executives, I had formed some strong opinions about how these questions should be answered. Specifically, I had developed a strong view that when it came to leaders, jargon was ineffective or even detrimental. Leaders would be better served avoiding jargon in favor of the kind of clear language and powerful rhetoric that can reach and inspire audiences.

My viewpoint has been developed over the course of many years of listening to thousands of our clients from a wide variety of industries complain ...