4 Risks that Exaggeration Poses to Your Leadership
We all exaggerate. Most of the time it is harmless. I have found that young leaders are exaggerating more often then is necessary. I believe the main reason is a lack of confidence in their abilities to lead and seeking the respect that comes with experience and wisdom. Do you find yourself exaggerating your leadership and stories to gain respect from your followers? In the track and field world, it is very easy to exaggerate. More often then not, “the older we get the better we were.” If I were still exaggerating like I was when I first started coaching, I would have built myself up to have won the Gold in the last Olympics! Scott Cochrane is a leader I subscribe to and he has some good thoughts of this subject. See his post below.
His original post can be found by Clicking Here
How many of these statements, or statements like them, have you used in your leadership:
“That was the best (event, earnings quarter, meeting) we’ve ever had!”
“This promises to be the best (board retreat, stockholders meeting) ever!”
“There is an unbelievable sense of momentum and excitement building in our (company, church, organization)!”
If you find that these types of hyped-up, hyperbole-filled statements are creeping into your leadership communication, watch out. Your leadership could be taking hits that you’re not even aware of.
As a leader you must certainly project optimism. But when you cross the line into hyperbole, you run four significant risks:
1. You can be seen as inauthentic
Let’s face it. Not every event can be the “best ever”. If you use this kind of language excessively people will start to see you less as a leader, and more as a pitch-man.
Remember, you need to cast vision, not sell a ShamWow.
2. You can lose credibility
You know that service you described as the “best ever”? Well guess what. Your people were there, and they know it wasn’t the best ever.
When your communication creates a gap between what your people know to be true, and what you claim to be true, you start to lose credibility.
3. Young people start to tune out
Young people today have their radar on “full alert” for anything that smells like hyperbole, exaggeration or hype.
You can’t afford to alienate this group with your communication.
4. You create a culture of “desperation”
As a leader your words have a powerful ability to form and shape culture.
When your communication is flavoured with constant hype you are creating a culture of desperation. For your followers it’s a short walk from desperation to suspicion.
Because of my own optimistic nature, I’ve learned that I need to be vigilant to ensure that hyperbole doesn’t creep into my own communication.
And I would urge you to be just as vigilant.
Because if you can keep away from exaggeration and hype it will be the absolutely greatest thing ever in the history of the world…
(And that, friends, is hype).