Successful leaders inspire action through language.

I've worked with many excellent leaders over the years and no two were exactly alike. Some had great technical knowledge, while others had great vision. Some were charismatic and inspirational, while others were introspective and insightful. But, no matter what gifts they brought to the role of leader, they all had one thing in common: their primary tools of leadership were words.

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Leaders use language to inform, inspire, and persuade. Whether through speeches, vision statements, or annual reports, a leader has to find the fight words to connect employees and managers with each other, as well as with other stakeholders.

And when we're trying to understand organizational culture, words are critical. The way people talk about their work, how they describe their customers, the job titles they use, and how they speak with co-workers all help to define the culture. But sometimes you have to listen carefully to catch a sense of the organization's culture. Slogans, posters, and marketing campaigns, which are highly visible in some organizations, may not reflect the true culture. It's what their leaders and employees say that really defines a winning culture.

Mark Twain once aptly put it, "The difference between the almost fight word and the fight word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

Language can be tricky, as Twain observed. How often do we choose the wrong word, or use a term out of context, only to have it blow up in our faces? That's certainly true if you're a presidential candidate these days. And if you're an organizational leader, you have to be very sensitive to how your language impacts others. Do you use language that clarifies, motivates, and inspires? Or does your language tend to confuse, discourage, or demoralize?

Effective leaders use language that makes employees feel valued, encouraged, and respected. When communicating with individuals or groups, try to use language that reflects these needs:

* Words of Inclusion: Employees feel a greater sense of loyalty when you use terms such as "team" and "partner" and talk about "our" goals and customers. I also like companies that refer to employees using terms such as "associates," "colleagues" and "teammates." When you talk about "subordinates" and "workers" you tend to create an "us versus them" mentality.

* Words of Empowerment: How do you empower people? Do you express confidence in their abilities to get the job done ("I know you can do it" and "You're the best person for the task") or you do undermine them with expressions of doubt ("I'll give you a chance" or "Nobody else wanted to do it")? Do you give employees deadlines and due dates or goals and targets?

* Words of Success: Thriving organizations have a vocabulary of success. They use words that help employees understand what needs to be accomplished. People in winning organizations tend to use terms such as "victory," "achievement," "result," "outcome," "performance," and "payoff." In struggling organizations you're more likely to hear people talking about "coming up short," "botching a job," and "dropping the ball." The language of success is energizing while the language of failure is demoralizing.

In these demanding times, the best way leaders can ensure a dynamic, adaptable workplace is to encourage positive communication patterns. Whenever I visit an organization for the first time I like to wander around, listen, and observe the types of language being employed in speeches, memos, conversations, signs, and other communications. It usually doesn't take long to tell whether the culture is energized and positive or struggling and negative.

But building a positive, productive working environment requires more than words alone. Your behaviors and actions have to match your words as well, because employees need to believe that their leaders really care about them as much as they care about the bottom line.

By Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky, Ph.D., CSP

Dr. Joanne G. Sujansky founded KEYGroup, a consulting firm for leadership training. She is an entrepreneur and author of numerous books on leadership, change, and retention. For more information, visit www.joannesujansky.com.