“We can choose courage, or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.” (Brené Brown, Call to Courage). This quote speaks to the idea that in order to communicate effectively, we must be willing to be vulnerable and take risks, even if it makes us uncomfortable.
While we may assume Brown is talking about one-to-one conversations, the same is true for communication with a larger audience. Whether you present to a group of 3 or 10,000 you want your message to be repeated and discussed long after you are done talking. You are starting a conversation, just like you are opening a conversation with one person.
Leadership is about leverage and that means that everything you do and every conversation you start is amplified. This is how we meet objectives that are too big for one person, and how exceptional things are accomplished.
Whether you are rolling out lofty goals for the year ahead, or if you are kicking off a new project, then you need to be courageous, so that your message resonates and leads to a continued conversation. A slick slide show with a hockey stick shaped graph will not engage your team. You need something to engage their hearts and minds.
Here are 5 things to consider before crafting your next courageous message/conversation.
- Create a narrative. What is the story behind what you are presenting? This HBR article will spur you on to learn more about storytelling in business: HBR – Story Telling That Moves People
- Be honest. First with yourself, then with your audience. If you hide the truth, you lose credibility and support either today, or at some point in the future. See this article for more on authentic leadership Defining Your Leadership Presence
- Share the path from here to there, including the unknowns and the challenges.
- Let others know why it is important to you, and how that makes you feel.
- Be in it together. Commit to the overcoming the challenges together (We, not me or you).
You need courage for a conversation like this because you know that the result is not guaranteed, and it is not all in your control, but regardless, you have shared your full commitment and the feelings behind that commitment with your team. There’s no going back.
Every communication may not resonate like “I have a dream”, but if something is important to you, then dig deep to find out why and courageously share that in your communication.
