Why "because I said so" doesn't work for leaders anymore

"I once coached a VP leading a digital transformation across three continents. She had no formal authority over the teams she needed to engage, just a high-stakes mandate and a tight timeline. Her initial meetings landed with silence. No one pushed back, but no one leaned in, either. It wasn't until she shifted how she communicated-not what she said, but how-that momentum started to build."

"In environments defined by complexity and change, influence matters more than hierarchy. Yet many leaders still lean on outdated methods: top-down messaging, overreliance on data, or blanket statements designed to "cascade" through an organization. These tactics often create distance rather than buy-in. Persuasive communication isn't about being charismatic or loud; it's about being clear, empathetic, and purpose-driven. It's how today's most effective leaders gain trust, align teams, and turn strategies into reality."

"Leaders should drop the jargon and focus on making their desired outcomes crystal clear. One of my clients, a senior director in a global logistics company, struggled to mobilize cross-functional teams around a new initiative. The turning point came when she swapped dense PowerPoints for simple statements: Here's what we're doing, here's why it matters, and here's how success will look."

In complex, changing environments, influence matters more than hierarchy. Leaders who rely on top-down messaging, overreliance on data, or blanket cascade statements often create distance rather than buy-in. Persuasive communication requires clarity, empathy, and purpose. Practical moves include eliminating ambiguity, replacing jargon with concise outcome statements, illustrating what success looks like, and providing actionable guidance. Concrete examples show that swapping dense slides for simple, example-driven statements reduces resistance and mobilizes cross-functional teams. Developing surgical clarity and empathetic messaging enables leaders to gain trust, align teams across functions and geographies, and translate strategic mandates into measurable results.

Read at Fast Company