I enjoyed reading today’s note and wanted to add to it a different light. If you want to hang a painting on the wall, you will definitely need a hammer. Is that sufficient? Oh no, you need a nail too! Is that it? No, you need to master the art of not bending the nail while you hammer it.

What does that mean? Languages are a tool and a powerful one. But a tool alone is not enough: you need an aim – the nail in the example or the message in communication. The art of not bending the nail relies on a constant observation to ensure that it does not change shape in the process – and we would avoid some hot discussions if we also did it verbally. The nail bent anyway? Change the angle of the hammer: you won’t fix it by shouting at the nail so why should shouting fix human communication?

Languages are a fascinating theme and we all to often underestimate its power. Learning a foreign language is a lesson of humility: you have to drop the assurance you built in your own language and start rebuilding a new “you” in this new environment and, all of a sudden, you realize that ideas, concepts that you never questioned have a different light because the words do not mean the same. This is a very important fact if you want to lead a team as we all speak different dialects, even within a family, and effective communication implies using words that translate in an even manner.

Nowadays, English is a “must have” in your skills set and, to be effective, you will need to adapt it to your audience: not everyone will know “Holywood’s English”, even though it is probably the most common. Try to gather representatives from the 5 continents in a meeting room and have them talk together: the words they will use will have local connotations and different meanings. But, as you mention, words are an expression of the soul and this is what you have to bring across – and, in my opinion, this goes much beyond the words!

To close this note, I will come back to my usual stance: never confuse communication with expression. Expression conveys ideas with words like a “one-way ticket”. Communication is a “two-way ticket” from soul to soul where the words are the train. I could speak to you in French and have you understand even though you don’t speak French and this is the art of communication. It won’t be effective but the aim is the message, which is what a leader needs to bring across. At least, that’s my view!

Cheers
Olivier