Nothing is worse for me than seeing a leader who is a poor communicator. As a former TV host, I interviewed plenty of executives, and I was shocked how ill-prepared they were to talk on camera. My concern for them led me to take a giant leap and start this company.
This Christmas, I received two inspirational gifts from my parents. My dad made me a wooden jar lid to match the awesome new business card holder he made earlier in the year. Inside the lid is an inspirational quote from Yoda: “No! Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.” I love it because I know it’s my dad’s way of saying, “GO FOR IT!”
My mom’s gift says the same thing. She gave me a leadership Bible, which made me laugh in the first few chapters.
John C. Maxwell’s Leadership Bible highlights the great examples and notable failures of leaders in the Bible.
I laughed because Adam royally screwed up. Nothing I didn’t already know, but I never heard the breakdown described as poor communication.
For years living in Wisconsin winters, I’ve said, “We’d all be naked, warm, and frolicking in a garden if Adam and Eve had just listened to God.” Now, this new Bible not only confirms my rant but also goes on to say that the Garden of Eden debacle was all due to poor communication.
Since I’ve made a career in communication and am now helping others communicate better, the Adam and Eve lesson is not lost on me. I’m going to include their interaction in my keynote speech for women leaders.
Please allow my loose interpretation.
First, Adam didn’t give Eve the correct information. He told her they would die if they ate the fruit. Since the information wasn’t the whole story, the snake was able to say that’s not true… take a bite. Who knows what Eve was thinking when she took the life-or-death gamble, but she had some doubts about Adam.
A true leader knows how to communicate.
When she took the bite and lived, Adam’s position as a leader was an epic fail. Then he ate the fruit too! Crazy. God said, “What have you done?”
Welcome to the first “Let’s Throw Each Other Under the Bus Party”!
Eve basically said, “The snake made me.”
Adam said, “The woman you gave me made me do it.”
Wow! Double tire marks. It’s God’s fault and Eve’s.
For 2017, consider providing your team with all the necessary information, and when something goes wrong, take ownership of your mistakes. Excellent communication will lead to more frolicking and less toiling in barren lands.
Let’s talk about a communication plan for you and your leadership team. We are trained broadcast journalists who know how to write a clear message. Plus we can teach you how to deliver it with style.