Leading With Emotional Courage

CHAPTER 29YOU CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH: THE MOUTHWASH PRINCIPLE: FOR ENERGIZED FOCUS, RINSE AND REPEAT

I had what I considered a pretty solid dental routine: Floss and brush twice a day. That's enough, right?

Not according to my new dentist. After hmmming and oooooing and picking and sticking at my teeth, he gave me a new, more cumbersome routine. Now, I floss, then brush, then use a pick between my teeth and, finally, use fluoride and antibacterial washes.

Here's the amazing thing: Often, it's not until the antibacterial wash step that I get every last food particle out. In other words, even all the flossing and the brushing and the picking don't quite get the job done. It takes all that, plus the final swishing, to get everything clean.

I was brushing my teeth this morning, thinking about this as I listened to my local National Public Radio's spring campaign to raise funds. For close to a week now they've been asking for pledges. Each time I heard their request, I decided I would pledge. And yet, I'm embarrassed to say, it took until today – the last day of their pledge drive – to actually donate.

It's the mouthwash principle. And it's critical to powerful leadership. If you want to make an impact on people, to influence their behavior in some way, you have to keep sharing the message, coming at it from different angles and at different times long after you think you're done.

Politicians know this as they give their stump speeches for the thousandth time. So do advertisers, who ...