Goal: Encourage professionals to model clear communication in their own work so they can inspire others, build trust, and create a culture of clarity.
How You Can Lead by Example of Clear Language
Clear language isn’t just a communication tool—it’s a leadership skill. In meetings, emails, reports, or casual conversations, how you express yourself sets the tone for how others do the same. If you want a culture of clarity, you have to model it. When people see you valuing plain, thoughtful communication, they’re more likely to follow your lead. That’s how change starts—not with a policy, but with an example.
Speak Simply, Not Simplistically
- Leading by example doesn’t mean dumbing things down. It means making them easier to understand—without losing meaning.
- When you take the time to explain complex ideas in straightforward terms, people notice. It shows that you care about being understood, not just about sounding smart. That’s powerful leadership.
Edit Before You Send
- Every time you write an email, proposal, or update, you have an opportunity to lead. Trim extra words, break up long paragraphs, and choose everyday language over jargon. Add headings or bullets if it helps. When people receive messages that are clear, they start to write that way too. Clarity spreads.
Admit When You’re Not Clear
- Strong leaders model humility. If someone doesn’t understand what you said, don’t double down—rephrase.
- If you made a message confusing, own it and fix it. That tells others it’s okay to make communication better over time, not perfect on the first try.
Ask Others to Join You
Invite your team or colleagues to help keep communication clear. Say things like:
- “Let me know if anything’s unclear.”
- “Can you help me say this more simply?”
- “What would make this easier to understand?”
When you show that clarity is a shared goal, not a solo act, people become part of the process.
Build a Culture, Not Just a Habit
- The more consistently you model clear communication, the more it becomes part of your group’s culture.
- Over time, people will start writing shorter emails, asking clearer questions, and designing documents that are easier to read—without being told to. That’s leadership through example.
- Clear language is an everyday way to lead with intention, respect, and impact. You don’t need permission to start. Just speak plainly, write purposefully, and listen closely. Others will follow—not because you told them to, but because you showed them how.
Reflection prompt
Who do you communicate with most often at work? What’s one habit you could model this week to make your communication clearer for them?
Try it
Before sending your next email, do a “clarity edit”:
- Cut one unnecessary sentence
- Replace one formal word with something more natural
- Add a short summary sentence at the end