Along with being a Scout, I believe we as leaders need to get better at being a Translator, namely one who can explain something in a way that is easy to understand. While an Architect of Meaning focuses on building clarity about the strategic nexus and why the work we are doing within an organization is important, the Translator focuses on building clarity about the outside context.
When acting as a Translator, we need to remember that experiences create beliefs and that beliefs can create experiences. In the end, however, I have learned that beliefs, nine times out of ten, impact actions, personally and collectively. This is so important because a big part of leadership is about driving results through others. This means we as leaders need to use systematic and symbol communication. Sometimes we have to systematically communicate what is happening outside the organization to the inside of the organization, other times we have to do it symbolically.
Yet, in order to be effective in our communication, we must teach whole -> parts -> whole thinking. By teaching others to zoom out before zooming in as a disciplined approach to thinking, communicating or problem solving, we create a framework for people to process all that the leader is translating for them. Over time and when done well, this leadership act of translation will play a critical role in shaping values and standard by which people focus, work and collaborate well with others.
This week make sure you are building clarity about the strategic nexus and clarity about the external context for change. This combination will be a powerful force multiplier.
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