The Leadership Talk: The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All (part 2)

ry: The author asserts that presentations andfor the next order.
speeches are the least effective means ofHowever, their committing to take leadership
leadership communication. There is a much moreinvolves your establishing a special relationship with
effective way: the Leadership Talk. In this threethem.
part series, he describes underlying principles ofFor instance, going back to the example I used in
the Leadership Talk and ways to help develop andPart One, if one is a floor sweeper, one does the
deliver it.best floor sweeping, not simply by doing it but by
Turbo Charge Your Career With The Mosttaking leadership of floor sweeping.
Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The LeadershipSuch leadership might entail: taking the initiative to
Talk. (Part Two)by Brent Filsonorder and manage supplies; evaluating the job
In Part One, I described the Leadership Talk andresults and raising those results to ever higher
how it is a much more effective leadership toollevels; having floor sweeping be an integral part of
than presentations or speeches.the general cleaning policy; hiring, training,
I also described two fundamental premises thatdeveloping other floor sweepers; instilling a "floor
the Leadership Talk is based on.sweeping esprit"that can be manifested in training;
In Part Two, I will show you the purpose of thespecial uniforms and insignias; behavior, etc.;
Leadership Talk. You won't be able to give asetting floor sweeping strategy and goals.
Leadership Talk effectively on a consistent basis ifOtherwise, in a "doing" mode, one simply pushes a
you misunderstand its purpose.broom.
The Leadership Talk doesn't drive purpose.You may say, "Listen, Brent, a job is a job is a
Purpose drives the Leadership Talk. There is onejob. This leadership thing is making too much of
and only one purpose of the Leadership Talk:not much!"
that's to motivate people to be your causeCould be. But my point is that applying leadership
leaders in meeting the challenges you face.to a task changes the expectations of the task.
This is important in understanding the differenceIt even changes the task itself. Think of it, when
between Leadership Talks and presentationswe ourselves are challenged to lead and not
speeches.simply do, our world is, I submit, changed.
You're a leader. You have a task to complete. DoFurthermore, though you may order people to do
you want the people you lead to simply do thea job, you can't order anybody to take leadership
task? Or do you want those people to actuallyof it. It's their choice whether they take it or not.
take leadership of accomplishing the task? For theThis is where the Leadership Talk comes in. Using
difference between doing and leading in terms ofit, you set up the environment in which they
accomplishment is stock car and a formula 1make that choice.
racer.The Leadership Talk is not only the most
Clearly, you can order them to accomplish theimportant way to get cause leaders; it is the only
task; and if you're in a position of authority, theyway to get them on a consistent basis.
will most likely carry out the order. But theyIn the final part of this three part series, I'll show
might not do it with full commitment. Or theyyou how to develop and deliver a great
may resent being ordered. Or they may beLeadership Talks.
inclined to do nothing unless ordered, and so after2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All
accomplishing the task, they do little else but waitrights reserved.