Many leaders I work with have a capability for intensity beyond that of the average person.  That strength only remains a strength if it is managed in all three areas of communication.

The above poster illustrates a continuum of intensity in the leader’s communication (i.e. words, tone of voice, and body language).

Two goals build on the truths of the poster:

1.  I want how I present myself in Word, Tone of Voice, and Body Language to be integrated so there’s a a congruency between my vocabulary, tone of voice, and how I present myself physically.  If those three are disjointed, folks won’t know which one to believe and it negatively impacts their ability to trust me.
2. I want my placement on each continuum to be appropriate to the situation.  Remembering this principle will automatically create variety in those three communication categories as situations change and will help ensure that when the job is to blow out a candle, I don’t bring a cannon.  I want to reserve the far right end of each continuum for those situations truly warranting such highly emotional communication (i.e. I reserve the word “horrific” for when visiting about situations like the Holocaust; “passionate” in my tone of voice for when I might need to clear a building in the case of a fire; and “intense” when I feel physically threatened by the person with whom I’m interacting).

An effective leader is:

1. able to move along the length of each continuum depending on the situation and
2. has the discipline to control his/her placement on the continuum to remain appropriate to the situation.

Categories: Assertiveness, Communications, Competitive Style, Conflict Management, Ego, Emotional Composure, Intensity, Passion, Presentation Style, Vitality