Sayings That Limit Effective Leaders
The saying “actions speak louder than words” is true, but did you know words have life? They can increase or erode a Leader’s effectiveness. That’s why we must consider the choice of popular phrases we use. These phrases are generally accepted as truths but can degrade productivity and creativity.
Some of these phrases are accepted as incorrect. For instance, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can do me no harm” is beautiful poetry. However, some words can do more harm than sticks or stones.
Then, there are other sayings we adopt that limit our thinking. How often do we say, “You won’t miss the water till the well runs dry?” This assumes you’ll miss the water only when the source is empty. If you think this through, you will realize there are many other reasons why you can miss the water.
One situation that comes to mind is you can miss the well if you get impatient, leave it behind, and do not find water at your destination. Another is if you do not want to do the work to get the water out of the well. Many such phrases are closed-thinking. Let’s open our minds to see beyond the obvious. Here are a few.
Sayings You Should Avoid
- “Better late than never.” That communicates it’s ok to be late. The alternative is to encourage the person being late to negotiate a better time to reduce the risk of being late. It drives a culture of excellence versus mediocrity.
- “It is what it is.” That’s a lazy way of giving up. It’s a sign of surrender when you feel you can’t succeed. Some managers also use this phrase to avoid a discussion. A better approach is to decide to take a position versus a surrender. That means taking the time to evaluate options and make a solid decision.
- “Learn from your mistakes.” It’s good to learn from your mistakes but it’s so much better to spare yourself the pain and learn from others’ mistakes. A great approach is, instead of seeing the situation as a “mistake”, reframe it as an “opportunity.” An opportunity means positive focus and growth potential. A mistake calls for sadness and regret.
- “You can lead a horse to the river but can’t make it drink.” That means you can’t force someone to do anything if they don’t want to. Well, effective leaders do not use force on their employees. However, the truth is Yes. You can lead a horse to water and make it drink. Just add salt to its food. It will drink due to thirst. In other words, others will act as you desire if you inspire them and motivate them.
- “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” That’s giving up on developing someone, or yourself. Influencing the person may be simple if you find their motivation button. Also, a leader who is in touch with the team will know their capability versus asking them to do tricks that are beyond their skills.
- “Knowledge is power.” That can give you a false sense of security because it’s only true if that knowledge has value. You can have all the knowledge, but without influence, your knowledge is not worth much. True power is bestowed on you by others. Not what you know.
- “When you are at the top, there’s only one way to go. Down.” That is a huge demotivator, and one shared with me by a past manager. He said it in jest after I broke a reliability record at my manufacturing plant decades ago, but I still remember it to this day. The better approach is to encourage reaching even higher by a redefinition of the top. In other words, raise the standard.
Effective leadership is more than just providing direction, it’s also about careful consideration of what we are communicating. Avoid phrases that encourage limited thinking. Instead, communicate words that can break others free from self-built barriers and guard rails that hinder creativity and efficiency.
Empowered Leader Reflection
What other saying do you know that can limit our thinking?
Start the conversation by sharing your thoughts.
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