9/23: Leaders are articulate

Leaders express themselves directly and clearly articulate vision, mission, values, goals, and expectations. I will never forget the words of my first supervisor in the field of Information Technology: “People put things into computers because they want to get things back out of them.”

This is perhaps not the most eloquent of statements, but one that has resonated with me throughout my 24-year career as an Information Technology professional. He articulated the mission of customer service in a single, simple, unambiguous statement.

Leaders are more than good communicators; they use both verbal and non-verbal communication to assist those whom they lead to fully understand the objectives of the organization. Their communication style is direct, unambiguous and, most importantly, non-subliminal.

A more recent leader of mine under whom I had the pleasure to serve had a similarly direct statement regarding his communication style: “What you see is what you get, and sometimes that’s unfortunate.”

You knew where you stood as a person and employee with this leader, and there is no substitute for honesty and clarity of direction from those who hold a position of authority.

One of the most effective messages was President John F. Kennedy’s directive to place a man on the moon. It is a story often told, but fundamental to understanding leadership. The mission and goal so permeated NASA during the 1960’s that everyone was on board. As the story goes, a NASA janitor busy plying his trade by mopping a floor was once asked what he was doing. He promptly replied, “Putting a man on the moon, sir!”