My View
Speaking the Lingua Franca of Contemporary Leadership
BY ALLAN J. MUCERINO/School Administrator, March 2022

THE ORGANIZATIONAL ECOSYSTEM relies on a common language between its members. Language is to leadership what a fuel pressure release wrench is to a mechanic.

Why a fuel pressure release wrench? Why not romanticize leadership and bathe in its mystique? After all, leadership is an art. Why not a sable hairbrush in the hands of the landscape artist or a mallet and chisel in use by the subtractive sculptor or a zebrawood baton in the grip of the symphony maestro? Why do I choose a fuel pressure release wrench to make the point?

The reality of our lives as organizational leaders is that we usually never start with a blank canvas, a block of stone or an unscored composition. It is usually a little messy. Leaders are more likely to be confronted with a high-pressure system that is about to blow if not relieved. Leaders rely on angles and leverage, a metaphorical wrench, to release just enough pressure to keep everyone psychologically safe, a prerequisite for trust, the cornerstone of learning organizations.

Rooted in Openness

The organizational milieu is soulless without a lingua franca to bind its culture, which, some scholars argue, is a language in itself. Leaders must appeal to their followers’ hearts in addition to their minds. Being persuasive is not enough. Positional authority alone renders it unreliable.

Conceptual semantics aside, the heart of communication is rooted deeply within the language of leadership and manifests in the actions stemming from an open mind, an open heart and the will to lead with character.

When leaders ask open-ended questions, they are leading with an open mind. If this is the answer, then what is the question? Leaders are cognitive coaches or thought partners. They are constantly framing and reframing, interpreting and re-interpreting, all the while positioning discourse markers along the path leading to inward sight.

An Open Mind

The open-minded leader asks the questions that lead to self-awareness and inspire a self-fulfilling yearning to reach the desired state. However, the language of leadership extends well beyond words.

When leaders build their ethos on a foundation of good character, they lead with credibility. Credibility comes before trust. The will to lead with character resides within the leader’s ethos and is evident in the symbolic language of solution-oriented discourse. This language of leadership is not flowery. To lead with character is to walk the talk. It is being real. Say what you mean and do what you say you are going to do.

Leading with an open heart requires pathos. Nothing bespeaks an open heart like passion. Leaders who are passionate about their work recognize their work depends on their passion for people. Wear your heart on your sleeve. Show your feelings openly. Take on the perspective of another person. Experience people’s emotions. Suffer and celebrate with your team.

Leading with an open heart requires empathy followed by compassion. Luckily for some, compassion is a learned skill, so it is never too late.

Mumbo Jumbo

I pay close attention to the language of leadership. You should too. Buzzwords, clichés and euphemisms are often confused as the language of leadership. They’re not. Instead, they raise suspicion and build resentment among followers. They may be popular at cocktail parties, especially in academic circles, but not so much for leading. Organizational leaders need to be rhetoricians who inspire, not impress.

A former colleague and collaborator of mine has railed against leadership language (and its lofty reputation) and has made it a personal mission to stop abetting its use, stating: “Pretentious mumbo jumbo violates our trust in words. It undermines communication. Ask any communications expert.”

If we as leaders want to be intentional about how we lead, let’s stop saying it and start doing it ... and if we must say it, leave no doubt in anyone’s mind what you mean.

ALLAN MUCERINO is superintendent of the Alvord Unified School District in Riverside, Calif. This commentary is drawn from his eponymous blog.