Chapter 1: What is the one question all leaders must answer?
You talk about the one question that all leaders must have an answer for. What's that one question?
That question is, what are you working on? Think about it. You get asked it in the hallway on the way to lunch. You get asked when you come in, you know, if you're sitting in the break room, what are you working on today? And people are tempted to just slough that question off, you know, while I'm working on X, Y, Z. And they don't answer it with a substantive, meaningful answer.
And that means that they don't get the visibility they need in the company. People don't see them as a real leader. They just see them as an also-ran, so to speak. And the way they should answer it is with a three-part response. And that is, we're working on solving X problem, whether it's a problem with a client or a problem in the organization. We're working on solving X problem.
And here's the outcomes that we expect to have. And this will be the benefit to the whole organization. Now, depending on who asks you that question, you might also add, this is how it will affect your timeline and your budget. Not everybody you'll give that answer to.
What you don't want to do is give some technical information that only makes sense with jargon that only makes sense to other people you work with, you know, the guy or the gal in the next desk.
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Chapter 2: How should leaders respond to the question 'What are you working on?'
with your own tools and charts and numbers and data. You want to think big picture. That's what strategic thinking is and strategic leadership communication is about. Think about who you're talking to. This is the problem we're working on. This is why it's important to the whole organization. And these are the outcomes that we're hoping to achieve for the organization.
And that positions you as a real leader and a strategic thinker. And when you start answering that question that way for your colleagues and other divisions, for your clients, then they'll start seeing you that way as if you know what's going on for that client, for your suppliers, for the general person who you talk with, your colleagues. Right.
really want to do that when you respond to clients because you want to position your organization as understanding their business. You want to say, you know, we're working on this new product or, you know, this new service, and here's what key problems it solves. And this is the outcome that will serve you when we get it done. And then you're perceived as a leader in your field, in your industry.
So that's a key, key kind of answer you want to give to clients when they ask you.