My 11-year-old son’s English teacher made the class write goals for the quarter. What my son committed to is an unsuspectingly wise goal that every leader on this planet should adopt:
“Looking up what a word is when I don’t know it.”
Ridiculously simple? Yes. But in a world where leaders often feel pressured to be the smartest person in the room, this 6th-grade goal speaks volumes about Intellectual Integrity.
What is intellectual integrity (and do you have it)?
Show of hands: how many people have been in a conversation when someone used a word that you didn’t know what it meant and you just nodded and smiled like you knew exactly what they were talking about? How embarrassing would it be if folks found out you didn’t know that interesting word they just threw down‽
I promise you, it’s not that embarrassing. And acknowledging that you don’t know the word proves intellectual integrity (being honest and fair in your thinking; not pursuing personal gain).
Leaders have big shoes to fill when delivering their messages — read ALL the books, know ALL the things, say the RIGHT words, don’t you dare stumble, don’t make a mistake.
But the problem is: that kind of leadership is unattainable. And those who pretend like it’s not…well, they are hoping to fake it till they make it. Once you start pretending, you lose precision. Precision is EVERYTHING when crafting messages that are intended to move the needle. To spark change. To lead well.
The super, simple micro-lesson: Precision is non-negotiable when writing to lead. If you can’t define the word, you can’t own the message. When vagueness slips in — either with you as the message giver or the message receiver — things get foggy quick. And you can’t reach your goal if it’s hiding in fog that is thicker than pea soup.
Here’s why this matters: The simple act of looking up words you don’t know has three obvious benefits:
It increases your understanding of what is being read or spoken, so you can engage with authenticity and integrity — no more pretending!
It increases your vocabulary, which directly translates into more accurate writing now and later on.
It promotes humility. Admitting you don’t know everything opens up the doors to learn something new.
Doing this publicly gives permission to those you lead to stop pretending and start learning too.
Put it into practice: Start looking up words you don’t know when you are reading the daily news, the novel on your nightstand, the business book on your desk. And if a word you don’t know is used during a conversation, politely ask for them to explain what they mean. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m not sure what ‘frisson’ means. Can you please explain?” (Watch them scramble to define it because they probably aren't 100% sure either - HA!)
How’d it go? What word did you learn today or this week? Mine is garrulous, used by John Steinbeck in East of Eden.
Garrulous (GARE-uh-luss): Excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters.
Here’s Steinbeck’s sentence: “He was not a garrulous man, but he had the capacity for silence which is the best part of a conversation.”
Hit reply and let me know how this lesson played out for you.
And If you’d like help transferring your leadership skills into clear, direct messaging, snag 30-minutes on my calendar. I’d love to hear more about your story!
P.S. Random Things I’m Loving This Week
This sourdough donut recipe. I wanted to eat them all, but instead shared with my kids.
This article from Mike Jones: What is cheap AI content costing your brand? (Disclaimer: This article is anti-em dash, which I disagree with. Other than that, the article is thought-provoking and worth a read!)
My husband made a crazy-awesome game table for a friend — complete with magnetic strips to attach accessories!
My em-dash LinkedIn post that went viral is still getting attention, 3 weeks later! CRAZY