Leadership Lesson: Leaders Translate
We learned last week that leaders connect.
A way to connect is through translation; which is today’s lesson.
You see, effective leaders translate.
In other words, they speak to their audience.
I was reminded of my recent trip to London for my friend Matt’s wedding.
Thankfully, we use the same English language.
But there are still many things that are not American, especially in Dublin, Ireland where we finished up the trip.
Ireland and most of the world for that matter measure weight in grams, distance in kilometers, and temperature in centigrade.
In my younger days of travel, I would try to force pressure on the Imperial system in my exchanges.
This was a novice move and a major fail.
It wasn’t until I realized that I needed to learn how to lift weights in kilograms, measure distances in kilometers, and communicate temperature in Celsius.
In essence, I learned how to translate.
Side note and fun fact, 28-30 degrees Celsius is my type of weather. 😎
Ok, I digress.
My point is that as a leader, it’s not about you.
It never has been or will be.
Instead, it is about the people you serve.
And when you serve others, you need to translate to them.
You need to know your audience and speak to them in their language.
This is where the influence lies.
After all, leadership is influence.
So if you want to be a better leader, learn how to translate to your audience.
