Conversations of Leaders

How does a leader speak? What would he/she say? How does he/she command attention? How would influence be expressed and impressed?

Leaders influence with their confidence, commitment and clarity. With their decisiveness, they can lead with a sense of purpose towards productive conversations that are worthwhile and worth their while. They infuse concern and consideration for others.

Leaders can lead by fear or by fare. They speak encouragingly. They ask provocative questions. They listen. They offer points of consideration. They respectfully provoke thinking. They replace barefaced arrogance with humility and attentiveness. They lead by engineering their influence: charisma, character, expertise, skillfulness, knowledge, courage, values, and energy.

If you intend to challenge the leader, do so with good intention. Refrain from being a know-it-all. Empty your glass, before you can fill it up again. It would be pointless to pursue another point of view when you have made up your mind. That is the trouble with knowledge, or the possession of it – you have sentenced your thinking to a full stop. Your thoughts become vestigial appendages, without function, and at most aesthetic in appeal. That is akin to small talk that is performed with no intent, and lacks artistry and meaning. It is no different to a noisy traffic jam; with lots of blaring horns and impotent impatience.

One can only visit an online forum of choice, and study the patterns of responses and pick out the mundane from the relevant, ignorant from the studied and knowledgeable. A leader’s moves and motives are calculated, and measured for results and impact. Study the best athletes and dancers, and you will learn how they perform with an economy of moves. Less can be more. There is gracefulness through withholding. The unorthodox can just be as safe and reassuring as the tried-and-true and predictable.

Conversations with leaders can be edifying as it is educating. You just need to know how to initiate it, with little expectations. Start your next conversation with a sense of curiosity and playfulness; it is certainly more useful than suspicion and distrust .