♬ Lead me, guide me along the way
For if you lead me I cannot stray
Or just open my eyes that I may see..♬

Words and Music by Doris Akers (Psalm 31:3), recorded by Elvis Presley.

Gregg Thompson wrote a great little article on the online edition of Bluepoint Leadership’s “The Point” entitled: “When the Leader Speaks“. The article is focused on the importance of a leader to engage in communication – more importantly, to engage in effective communication. Gregg states:

“[E]ach of us can significantly increase our communication effectiveness by adopting the three universal practices that have been employed by great leaders in organizations of all kinds. These men and women construct an enticing image of the Future, they connect with their constituents on a Personal level, and they create a compelling Story in which everyone has a starring role. “

What do effective leaders say?  In Gregg’s opinion:

1.     These leaders convince us that tomorrow can be better than today.

2.     These leaders communicate to us, personally.

3.     These leaders craft a big story for the organization.

Now convincing people that tomorrow can be better than today may be a pretty uphill road these days.  Perhaps the time scale needs to be adjusted somewhat by saying that “perhaps not today, perhaps not tomorrow, but by keeping on the right path and remaining optimistic, we can eventually have a tomorrow that is better than today.”

How many “leaders” that we know hide behind closed doors and don’t engage in these three simple principles? The power of communicating – of speaking to people on an individual level, opening a person’s eyes so that they can see the big picture and their place within it – will always be the true hallmark of a great leader.