From Martin Luther King Jr. to Mahatma Gandhi: 3 communication habits that set successful leaders apart
From Martin Luther King Jr. to Mahatma Gandhi to the Wright Brothers, these remarkable individuals may have led vastly different lives, but one thing unites them: their unparalleled success. Drawing inspiration from such icons, one man, who dedicated 12 years to studying the communication styles of the world's most successful and influential figures, is now sharing his invaluable observations.
Noah Zandan, now the CEO of Quantified, a company that combines behavioral science, AI, and experiential learning technolAogy to help people improve their interactions, started his career on Wall Street.?
There, he dealt with vast amounts of data to facilitate billion-dollar deals. Over time, he realised a crucial element missing in the models: effective communication.
The idea was straightforward¡ªif leaders could clearly communicate their vision, deals were more likely to succeed.?
To explore this, he analysed 200 videos of the world's top visionaries, including Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., the Wright Brothers, and Amelia Earhart.?
He included TED Talks on innovation, famous speeches from global thought leaders, and rankings of top visionaries. He compared these with videos of 250,000 professionals.
Finally, he was able to identify three key communication strategies used by visionary leaders, as highlighted by CNBC MakeIt:
1. They speak in the present tense
Successful leaders use the present tense 15% more and the future tense 14% less than average communicators.?
For instance, instead of saying, "We will achieve these results," they say, "We are achieving these results now."
Greta Thunberg exemplified this in her 2019 speech at the World Economic Forum, addressing the climate crisis with urgency: "I don't want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act."
2. They use simple language
Visionaries avoid overly complex or theoretical language.?They use fewer syllables per word, fewer words per sentence, and clear cause-and-effect language.?
For example, Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," is straightforward and impactful, without overexplaining or justifying.
Also read: Mahatma Gandhi: Must-Read Unique Books That Shed Light On His Life & Philosophies
3. They invite their audience in
Visionaries frequently use second-person pronouns like "you" and "your," and language related to the senses, making their communication immediate and immersive.
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