Empower Your Leadership Through Words

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In my years of working with managers transitioning into higher authority roles, I've observed a recurring pattern: it takes a while for them to adjust their language. The words they use at the beginning of our coaching journey often undermine the authority and credibility required in this new role. These seemingly harmless words can convey uncertainty, indecision, and a lack of confidence, which can significantly impact their leadership effectiveness.

This article intends to highlight some disempowering words, explain the subtle ways they affect perceptions, and provide practical alternatives. By becoming aware of these linguistic habits, managers can enhance their communication skills and project a stronger, more confident leadership presence.

Through this exploration, I aim to offer not only managers but all professionals reading this article food for thought and an opportunity to reflect on their speech patterns. The goal is to encourage a shift towards more empowering language that reinforces their leadership capabilities and fosters a more authoritative and confident presence in their roles.

I further present eight categories of disempowering words that hurt managerial authority. These categories will help identify common patterns and provide clear alternatives for more effective communication. Each section is dedicated to a category, offering examples and practical replacements to help managers empower their leadership through words.

1. Uncertain Words

Uncertain words often creep into managerial language, subtly undermining authority and projecting insecurity. These words can signal to your team and other stakeholders that you are not fully confident in your decisions or in control of the situation, which can erode trust and effectiveness.

When you use phrases like "I think we should try this strategy." it conveys hesitation and uncertainty. Replacing "think" with "believe" can transform the statement, projecting confidence and clarity: "I believe this strategy will work."

Similarly, saying "I guess we can start the project next week" implies a lack of certainty. This phrase makes it sound as though the timeline is flexible and of little importance. Instead, a more assertive "We will start the project next week" communicates decisiveness and planning.

As a senior manager, hearing "hope," such as "I hope we can finish by Friday!" suggests that outcomes are left to chance rather than being driven by action. Replacing "hope" with "plan" changes the dynamic entirely: "We plan to finish by Friday", signalling control and foresight.

Finally, the word "suppose," as in "I suppose we could look into that," implies a lack of commitment and importance. Instead, saying "Let’s look into that!" conveys determination and proactive behaviour.

By eliminating uncertain words and choosing a more assertive language, you can project confidence and decisiveness, enhancing your leadership presence and building trust within your team.

2. Needy Words

Needy words can undermine your authority by making requests sound more like pleas than directives, creating an impression of dependency rather than leadership.

For example, when you say, "I need this report by tomorrow" it can come across as desperate. The word "need" conveys urgency but lacks authority, making it seem like the task's completion is critical to your survival rather than the team's success. Instead, a statement like "Please submit this report by tomorrow." is firm yet polite, maintaining authority without sounding needy.

Similarly, saying "I want you to improve your performance" can make the request seem personal and self-centred. It implies that the improvement is for your benefit rather than for the overall good of the team or organization. A more effective phrase would be "Your performance must improve", which clearly states the requirement without personalizing it.

Using "can" in questions, such as "Can we discuss this later?" suggests a lack of decisiveness. It implies that you are unsure or seeking permission rather than directing. Replacing it with "We will discuss this later" provides clarity and authority, setting clear expectations.

By avoiding needy words and choosing more assertive language, you can communicate more effectively, leading to being taken more seriously by your team, peers, seniors, and clients. This shift will enhance your leadership presence and credibility.

3. Non-Committal Words

Non-committal words often signal a lack of confidence and commitment, weakening your directives and undermining your authority. These words suggest that you are unsure of your decisions, leading to confusion and hesitation among your team.

Take the word "try," for instance. Saying, "I will try to get it done" implies a possibility of failure, diminishing your team’s confidence in your abilities. A more assertive approach would be to say, "I will get it done" conveying certainty and reliability.

Similarly, the word "might," as in "We might be able to meet the deadline" suggests doubt and lack of commitment. It leaves room for ambiguity and can lead to uncertainty within the team or the client. Replacing "might" with "will" provides clarity and sets a definitive expectation: "We will meet the deadline."

Using "could" in statements such as "We could consider this option" indicates hesitation and indecision. This kind of language fails to inspire confidence and direction. Instead, saying "We should consider this option" gives a clear directive and shows decisive leadership.

By eliminating non-committal words and using more definitive language, you can project confidence and decisiveness, fostering a more reliable and authoritative presence.

4. Apologetic Words

Apologetic words can significantly undermine your authority by making you seem uncertain and overly deferential. This kind of language can erode the confidence others have in your leadership.

Consider the word "just" as in "I just wanted to check in." This phrase minimizes the importance of the respective communication and can make you seem hesitant or unsure. Instead, saying "I wanted to check in" is more direct and assertive, demonstrating confidence and clarity.

Another example is "sorry," as in "Sorry, but I think we need to change our approach." Over-apologizing weakens your position. Replacing "sorry" with a straightforward statement like "We need to change our approach" maintains professionalism while asserting your authority.

Using "maybe" in statements like "Maybe we can start the review now" suggests indecision. Instead, saying "Let's start the meeting now" provides clear direction and shows confidence in leading the team.

By removing apologetic words from your vocabulary, you can communicate more assertively and maintain a stronger leadership presence.

5. Indirect Words

Indirect words often dilute the clarity and impact of your communication, making you seem less confident and assertive. This kind of language can cause confusion and reduce your perceived decisiveness.

For example, using "perhaps" in "Perhaps we should review the data again." indicates uncertainty. A more direct approach is "We should review the data again", which provides clear direction and confidence.

Similarly, saying "I'm kind of concerned about the deadline" weakens your expression. Instead, say "I'm concerned about the deadline," which communicates your feelings clearly.

The phrase "sort of," as in "This is sort of what I meant" makes your message vague. Instead, saying "This is what I meant" delivers a clearer message.

Eliminate indirect words from your communication! This change will make you feel more in control, and that confidence will be felt by those around you.

6. Hedge Words

Hedging words can make you seem uncertain and hesitant, reducing the impact of your communication. This type of language often suggests a lack of commitment and clarity.

For instance, using "actually" in "Actually, I think we should do it differently" can come across as unsure. Instead, say "We should do it differently" or "I believe we should do it differently" which is more straightforward and confident.

Similarly, "basically" in "Basically, we need to increase our sales," diminishes the importance of the statement. A clearer alternative is "We need to increase our sales."

The word "hopefully" in "Hopefully, we will see results soon" indicates a lack of control. Instead, "We expect to see results soon" shows confidence and control.

By removing hedging words, you'll feel more certain and clear about your directives, which strengthens your leadership presence.

7. Incomplete Words

Incomplete words can make communication seem vague and uncertain, reducing the impact of a manager’s directives. These words suggest partial commitment or belief, which can undermine authority.

For example, using "somewhat" in a statement like "I’m somewhat convinced." indicates partial belief however people around do not understand which part is not yet convincing. Instead, say "I’m not convinced" and provide your reasons, or “I am convinced” and provide your reasons adding also what is missing. In this way, you demonstrate you see interdependencies, have clear the big picture and show full commitment and confidence.

Similarly, the word "partially" as in "I partially agree with your point" weakens the agreement. A stronger alternative would be "I agree with your point," which communicates clear support or “I do not agree with your point and here there are my reasons” to show clarity and advance the discussion.

The use of "fairly" in "I’m fairly certain this will work" suggests there is still a nuance of doubt. Replacing it with "I’m certain this will work" conveys confidence and decisiveness.

By avoiding incomplete words, you ensure your messages are understood and taken seriously.

8. Vague Words

Using vague words can create confusion and ambiguity, making it difficult for your team to understand and act on your directives. When you say "This thing needs attention," it lacks specificity and direction. Instead, try "This issue needs attention," which gives more information and clarity.

Similarly, "We need to sort out this stuff" is too broad. Replacing it with "We need to sort out the details about timing and availability of certified suppliers" provides clear, actionable direction.

Using "etc." in "We need to complete the tasks, reports, etc." suggests incompleteness. Instead, say, "We need to complete the tasks and reports and ensure everyone is informed about any changes to this plan."

By avoiding vague words, you ensure your messages are clear and actionable, leading to a more productive and focused team.

Conclusion

As a manager, the words you choose significantly impact your authority and how your team perceives you. By recognizing and replacing disempowering words—such as those that are uncertain, needy, non-committal, apologetic, indirect, hedging, incomplete, vague, hesitant, and minimizing—you can transform your communication style. This change will not only enhance your leadership presence but will also build trust and clarity within your team.

Here are several questions to help you grow awareness of the patterns of your speech:

1. Are you aware of your speech patterns? Do you use any of these words, and if so, what effects have you noticed on others?

2. Do you often find yourself apologizing unnecessarily? How do others react when you apologize?

3. Which words do you already know you need to eliminate from your speech?

4. Which words feel most challenging to remove from your speech patterns?

5. How do you feel after using any of these words? What impact do these words have on your confidence and authority?

By consciously choosing words that reflect decisiveness and clarity, you can lead more effectively and inspire your team to perform at their best. Embrace this opportunity to refine your language and strengthen your leadership.

If you’re looking to enhance your leadership through followership and believe you could benefit from an outside perspective, I’m here to help. I can support you in developing a deeper understanding of followership, showing how it can strengthen your leadership and team dynamics. By recognizing the value of followership, you’ll be better equipped to create a culture of collaboration and mutual respect, leading to greater overall success.

Reply to this email and share with me your aspiration of becoming a better leader through effective communication. I will follow up shortly to arrange a free discovery call so you can understand the power of coaching and your potential shift toward stronger leadership.

Until next time, keep thriving!

Alina Florea

Your Management Performance Coach 

How can I support you?

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Summary:

In this article, we discuss how the language you use can impact your authority and credibility as a manager. By identifying and replacing disempowering words such as uncertain, needy, non-committal, apologetic, indirect, hesitant, incomplete, and vague words, you can significantly improve the way you communicate and lead. These changes will not only strengthen your presence and authority with your team but also help create a clearer and more productive work environment.