It shouldn’t be a surprise that when you reach a leadership role it is not about you but is about the people you are leading. If that is a surprise you need to re-evaluate your role as a leader. When you are communicating something don’t forget that the message isn’t about you and make sure your team doesn’t walk away with that impression either. Here is a simple way to remember when you use “we” and when to use “I”.
Use “I” when something has gone wrong or when trying to make changes to a process, product or situation.
- I won’t give up on you
- I stand behind my team
- I care about the work my team does
- I made a mistake I failed
- I care about my team as people
Use “we” when talking about accomplishments or other positive outcomes.
- We can do this
- We did do this
- We have an opportunity to
- We succeeded
Remember that your team is who will carry out your agenda. Your success rests solely on their shoulders. Your team is sensitive to the number of “I”s and “we”s you use. Make sure you balance them when speaking or writing.
Last updated on August 8th, 2020 at 07:18 am
