The column "Leadership Whiteboard" provides a short visual leadership coaching moment. It introduces and explains a new sketch in each issue, provides leadership coaching for further development, and shares a leadership quote and recommended resources.
Leadership Whiteboard: Leading With Words
By Ron Hunter Jr., Ph.D.
Leaders need to communicate effectively by speaking and writing well. The responsibility of communication rests primarily on the communicator, not the one listening. You might be surprised by how much you write daily through texts, emails, notes, blogs, or manuscripts. While far from an expert, I’ve learned from great mentors and editors who have helped me improve. These 16 quick tips have guided me over the years.
Discover the following ways to craft your wording and make your written communication more interesting. When possible, talk to your audience; use the second person (you, your) to speak directly to readers. Use active voice; aim for 80% active verbs to make writing more engaging.
Avoid repetition; don’t repeat words in close succession to keep your text fresh. Be specific; avoid vague or generic standalone words like this, it, and things, which can confuse readers. Engage the reader with visual word choices. Since many people are visual learners, use precise, descriptive words to paint a picture. Manage your word count. Budget sentences in your outline accordingly, and remember, less is more. Rewrite for clarity; practice by revising drafts. Don’t settle for your first attempt. Allow time between drafts, which helps you clarify what you truly intended to convey.
Use tools to help your writing improve. Plan with a mind-map. Non-linear outlining helps brainstorm your thoughts before you start writing. Use a thesaurus; find the right words with tools like the thesaurus in Microsoft Word or Roget’s. Leverage software editors; check your work with Microsoft Word and Grammarly to polish your text. Change settings on your software editors based on your audience. Adjusting your criteria in Word or Grammarly helps adjust your writing tone from casual to formal to academic when needed. Generate alternatives in your word choices; use AI tools to suggest synonyms and titles. Use a human editor.
An editor can catch mistakes and improve your grammar, tone, and clarity like software, but also will understand the culture and audience you are addressing. Lastly, learn from great authors. Read well-crafted writing to observe effective use of language.
Over several months, concentrate on mastering two to three tips at a time. This focused approach will significantly strengthen your writing skills. Embrace rewriting as a fundamental part of the writing process to continually refine and improve your communication.
