Leadership Communication: Choosing Your Lens
Great leaders know that communication, like photography, requires the right lens—sometimes capturing the broad vision, sometimes zooming in on crucial details—to bring their message into sharp focus.
A wide lens captures the full landscape of the company or project. When you go wide in your communication, you demonstrate that you understand the broader implications of your strategy. This helps individual team members see how their work connects to the big picture, and lights up the connections between silos and specialties.
On the other hand, if you spend too much time on the big picture, individuals might start to feel like they don’t know where they should focus their actions. That’s when you need to switch to a macro lens and give them an up-close shot of their individual role.
Agile communicators might use a zoom lens, which allows them to fluidly move between big-picture and up-close without missing a beat. Ultimately, leaders should have a diverse variety of lenses in their kit, which they can deftly switch out according to the needs of each communication.
Next time you’re communicating with your teams, take a moment to consider which lens will best empower them to move forward in the work.
Choose your lens, frame your shot, and enjoy the flow of comprehension and cohesion that results!
About The Author
Kristin Lytle | As CEO of The Leader’s Edge, Kristin is on a mission to help organizations stop wasting potential. Kristin’s 20+ years of global leadership experience at top organizations make her a trusted partner to business leaders. As a dynamic speaker, facilitator, and thought leader, Kristin has been featured in Fast Company, SUCCESS Magazine, iHeartRadio’s CEOs You Should Know, and more.