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Be Seen as a Visionary Leader
by Brigid Moynahan
A 2009 study published in the HBR found that the one leadership competency women leaders are perceived as lacking is vision (Full scoop: Women and the Vision Thing).
We know the women with whom we work to be visionary leaders, but in a world of quick decisions, perception rules the game of leadership advancement.
How can you be perceived as a visionary leader?
Here are some simple shifts:
1. “Towards” vs. “Away from” Language
One of my coachees had received feedback that she was not exhibiting “visionary leadership.” A fantastic problem solver, through coaching, she discovered that she was communicating her future vision in "away from" language. She articulated what she saw for the future of the organization in terms of what she wanted to avoid. By simply translating her message into “towards” language--where we are going, what we will be--she transformed her perception, while staying true to her message.
If you resonate with Melanie, experiment with translating your message from "away from" language to "towards" language before a meeting or presentation. Rather than, “We don’t want morale to go down,” it would be, “We want a culture of engagement." Changing this pattern may feel awkward at first, so do the prep work by practicing how you will deliver your message.
2. Know your Value Proposition
When you know your unique contribution to leadership, you resonate conviction needed for visionary leadership. Don’t give others a reason to doubt you by doubting yourself.
Click here for a simple exercise for honing your value proposition. Then practice a power pose while saying it to embed internal belief.
3. Speak with S.S.V. (Succinct, Specific, Value Added)
Do you find yourself adding anecdotes and extra details when making a point? Or undercutting your message with provisionals (I think, perhaps). Linguists have found that often women are more “high context speakers” and are more likely to “soften” their message with provisionals.
While women are often fantastic, nuanced storytellers and connected communicators, in a sea of words, our message can sometimes be lost. The prefrontal cortex can only hold seven distinct items in the brain at any given time (i.e. seven digit phone numbers). Ensure your vision is heard by framing it in sentences of seven words or fewer.
Prep and practice SSV statements before your next big meeting or presentation.
Click here to join the conversation on the High Wire Acts blog!
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“Freedom from noise and goal-directed tasks, it appears, unites the quiet without and within, allowing our conscious workspace to do its thing, to weave ourselves into the world, to discover where we fit in. That’s the power of silence." 
From CEO Brigid Moynahan:
