Great2Greatest: Words Carry Power
You know this already...... But, it helps to sort of step through this reminder.
I often remind all sorts of leaders that communication is not simply about speaking. It is about creating understanding. Every conversation, email, text message, meeting, and casual comment leaves an impression. Great leaders understand that words build trust, create clarity, and inspire action. Poor communication can create confusion, conflict, and costly mistakes. #HighTouch and #HighTech.
Think baseball. Famous for the sport that literally invented the unique hand signals used during the game by the catcher, the first base and third base coach as well as the Manager from his perch in the dugout. Communications can win or lose a big game.
I noticed the other day the man on the electrical tower, up about 100 feet, harnessed in, tool belt around his waste, hard hat on. He was using a simple form of hand signals. Imagine if he used the WRONG hand signals, what that outcome could be! Interesting.
History provides sobering examples.
In 1977, the Tenerife Airport disaster became the deadliest aviation accident in history. Investigators concluded that misunderstood radio transmissions, assumptions, and communication breakdowns contributed to a runway collision that claimed 583 lives.[1]
What makes this tragedy especially noteworthy for leaders is that highly skilled professionals were involved. The lesson is clear: expertise can never replace clear communication.
Nearly a decade later, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster exposed critical communication failures between engineers and decision-makers. The Presidential Commission found that important safety concerns were not effectively communicated through the decision-making process, resulting in leaders making decisions based on incomplete information.[2] When people fail to communicate risk, even the brightest organizations can make catastrophic mistakes.
While most of us will never face decisions of that magnitude, communication failures occur every day on Main Street USA.
Consider a family-owned business where the founder verbally shared different succession expectations with multiple children. One child believed they would inherit leadership. Another assumed equal ownership. A third expected a buyout. Because expectations were never clearly documented or discussed together, family members were operating from different versions of reality.
After the founder's death, disagreements escalated into legal disputes, key employees departed because of uncertainty, customers lost confidence, and family relationships suffered lasting damage. What could have been resolved through a single facilitated family meeting and a written succession plan became an expensive and avoidable crisis. The lesson is universal:
Confusion is expensive. Clarity is profitable.
Three BIG Steps to Better Communication
1. Seek Understanding Before Being Understood
Great communicators listen with the objective of learning, not responding.
People support what they help create. When leaders seek first to understand perspectives, concerns, and motivations, they build trust and strengthen relationships.
Leadership Tip: Ask at least three clarifying questions before offering your solution.
2. Communicate with Clarity, Not Complexity
Many leaders mistakenly believe more information creates more understanding. In reality, simplicity creates clarity.
Whether discussing business goals, family expectations, or team responsibilities, clear communication reduces mistakes and accelerates execution.
Leadership Tip: If your audience cannot repeat your message back in one sentence, your message may be too complicated.
3. Build a Culture of Open Feedback
Strong organizations are not those without problems. They are those where people feel safe raising concerns before problems become crises.
The Challenger investigation demonstrated the consequences when critical information fails to move efficiently through an organization.[2] Great leaders invite dialogue, challenge assumptions, and welcome difficult conversations.
Leadership Tip: Regularly ask, "What am I missing?"
The Great2Greatest Communication Checklist
Implement these seven habits for yourself, your team, and your family:
✓ Listen completely before responding.
✓ Ask clarifying questions rather than making assumptions.
✓ Confirm understanding by repeating key points.
✓ Put important agreements in writing.
✓ Address misunderstandings immediately.
✓ Create an environment where honest feedback is welcomed.
✓ Communicate expectations clearly and consistently.
Final Thought
Leadership is communication in action.
Relationships thrive or fail based on (mis)understanding. Businesses grow or struggle based on alignment. Families unite or divide based on expectations that are either communicated or assumed.
Whether you are leading a company, a team, or your family, remember this:
Sometimes communications is DIFFICULT! But worth it.
Remember your EQ.
Your words carry power. Use them deliberately. Use them wisely. Use them to move from Great to Greatest.
Footnotes
[1] Tenerife Airport Disaster Investigation, Netherlands Aviation Safety Board Final Report and subsequent aviation safety analyses documenting communication breakdowns that contributed to the collision of KLM Flight 4805 and Pan Am Flight 1736 on March 27, 1977. [faasafety.gov], [incident-p...ention.com]
[2] Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, detailing communication failures, incomplete transmission of engineering concerns, and decision-making breakdowns that contributed to the January 28, 1986 Challenger disaster. [nasa.gov], [nasa.gov]
Joe Simon is a seasoned communicator with over 35 years in the insurance and financial services industry, working with FORTUNE 500 to Main Street USA leaders. His Great2Greatest philosophy is a special ingredient in how he has worked with leaders in their succession planning, estate planning, and personal financial strategies and leadership skills.
MORE: joesimon.solutions CONTACT JOE: js@joesimon.solutions
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