Leadership Speech Mis-Steps
Ten Surefire Ways to Fail

Leadership speech expert Terry Paulson uses a lot of well-placed humor to get across some important messages to his listeners.

As you consider each of these ten sure-fire mis-steps of leadership speech, consider what each one says to your employees, to your bosses, to your co-workers and business partners. What is the “leadership speech” (meaning body language, facial expressions or other outward gestures) that you are making in each mis-step?

Ten Leadership Speech Mis-Steps

1. Never give in to attempting to influence or persuade others to change when you can exercise your power and simply demand it.

   Dictatorial demands will more effectively keep staff in their place—way down there and out of your hair. Tact, diplomacy and frequent communication does to authority what sugar does to your teeth. Obviously, you wouldn't want your teeth to rot; nor would you want to spoil your team, right?

   After all, if any of your people had any ideas worth listening to, one of them would be the boss.

2. Develop a varied arsenal of "looks" or facial expressions in order to master the subtle put-downs. A well-placed sigh and a "that was dumb" stare can work wonders in silencing your people.

   Be creative! Add the verbal clinchers such as: "Are you kidding me?" or "Do you really think I'd do that!" Try some well-placed sarcasm: "Yeah, I knew I'd have this problem when they made me put you in this position!" When the lowly bottom-feeders react, just say, "Can't you take a joke without overreacting like a child?"

3. When providing performance feedback, don't let them find their own solution when you can reinforce your position of authority by telling them what they "obviously should have done!"

   As part of this particular leadership speech item, it’s important to take each one of your team members to the stone tablets that are enshrined on your office wall to show them the error of their ways. Be ready to use the Harvard Business Review, your MBA notes, or Dilbert cartoons to identify how defective they really are.

4. Never deal with issues when you can attack the person directly and make him or her feel inferior. When they criticize your ideas, question their attitude and commitment to the team to put them quickly back in line.

   When they miss a deadline, immediately question their ability to handle additional responsibility or create added value to the organization. If they persist in making their point, keep them in their place by saying, "If I wanted your opinion, I'd give it to you!"

5. Keep harping on the phrase, "More with Less" to explain your downsizing, reorganization and new expense initiatives.

   Remind the whiners that busy people are happy people that get to keep their jobs. This could be one of the most important leadership speech mis-steps if not done properly on a consistent basis.

   Avoid allowing your need to hold the line on wages to impress stockholders stop you from taking the wage increases and bonuses you deserve for leading your team through such perilous times.

6. Never give information or strategic direction until you have to. Let your people drown first so they will appreciate you once you teach them to swim.

   Once you do teach them what you expect from them, never change your position. Now, if their ideas are really better, just wait a few weeks, make some slight adjustments, and then claim them as your own. They will squawk in the restrooms and lounges, but they will know what it is to respect authority.

7. When things go wrong, you must immediately know who to sacrifice. When you're given a bunch of turkeys, how do they expect a leader to get them to fly?

   Never tarnish your reputation as a superior leader. Make certain colleagues know that you were given inexperienced, marginal team members to begin with. If by chance your team does succeed on its own, take all the credit. You deserve it for putting up with so many daily personnel issues.

   After all, with effective leadership even turkeys can fly in unison for the first 50 feet.

8. Build your own corporate torture chamber adapted to the needs of your trouble-making staff. Know how to schedule hours to produce maximum aggravation. After all, isn’t effective leadership speech about making an impact?

   Keep the pressure on your people by demanding that they work with team members they despise and projects they have no passion or skills to draw on. When they are in the "dog house," let them know it is not supposed to be fun.

9. Never give recognition; it sets the stage for complacency. After all, they are lucky they have a job.

   If you thank them, you run the added risk that they will just ask for more money. Obviously, this would be grounds for immediate termination!

   In this century of never-ending change, there is no place for a "good guy" on your corporate juggernaut!

10. The Bark is only as good as a bite. Fear is the most effective motivator. Don't waste your time with petty, lengthy documentation with your tough employees; make a scene by threatening their job on-the-spot.

    Sure, you'll lose a few knot-heads, and they may cause some frustration down the road but you shouldn’t worry yourself over petty accusations or even the occasional lawsuit.

    If you abuse your team members privately, there will be no witnesses and it's your word against theirs.

Now that you are armed with these leadership speech mis-steps, aka: helpful hints, as a boss bent on failure, you can be sure to arrive there.

You'll know if it is working soon enough. On the surface, people will appear to work. You will get compliance when you are in sight. You may find they work slow, make many errors, and have no concern for quality or customer service, but at least you know you will get the minimum output from each numbskull under your watchful eye.

You will be butchered at the drinking fountains and in the lounges, but don’t let petty gossip or the shooting pain in your back get in your way.

Sure, you will feel lonely at times, but that goes with being a masterful leader among men and with creating the illusion of power.

Yes, they’ll probably have a joyous going away party when you leave. Unfortunately, you will not be invited to the party. By the way, the Surgeon General warns that using these leadership speech hints may be hazardous to your management career and a disaster to the team and organization you serve.

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