I always enjoy having “Aha” moments where everything makes sense and I see things more clearly. When this happens, I think of the scene (click to view) from the movie Beautiful Mind where John Nash (Russell Crowe) was brought in by the military to crack a code. In this scene, Nash is with a group of highly ranked military personnel in a room with a series of numbers on the wall. As Nash walks into the middle of the room and looks closer, the numbers begin to jump out revealing a hidden message. Much like the tiger hidden in the image above. Did you see it?

Here is my “Aha” moment. Say these two phrases out loud.

Your Leader.

You’re Leader.

When you say them out loud, they sound the same, but when used, they carry very different meanings.

The first statement has a meaning of authority that:

• Creates dependency.
• Bottlenecks decision-making.
• Reduces confidence.

The second statement has a meaning that:

• Creates trust.
• Builds relationships.
• Creates confidence.
• Shows respect.
• Increases buy-in and ownership.
• Encourages growth and leadership.

Both intentionally and unintentionally, we embed hidden messages in our communication (verbal and non-verbal) that either engage or disengage our teams. True engagement begins with trust. Without trust within your team, you have a recipe for disaster and the potential for a toxic culture.

Pay close attention to the language you use with your team. Answer these questions:

1. Is it positive or negative?
2. Does it create trust or distrust?
3. When I communicate, what am I really saying?
4. Am I creating leaders in how I communicate?

Build trust. Build leaders.

“Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities for which they were previously unaware.”
– David Armistead, Professor