Why Great Leaders Should Be Great Writers

Why Great Leaders Should Be Great Writers Much has been written on the qualities of a good leader. Top-10 lists from leadership gurus and online articles generally offer characteristics such as influential, passionate, dedicated, disciplined, and great communication skills (to name a few) as the most valued qualities a leader can demonstrate. However, not all these lists touch on one of the most important qualities of a great leader, which is being a great writer.Theres a reason why degree programs across a variety of fields require extensive writing- writing is an essential skill in the business world. Equally, there are several reasons why leaders should focus on honing their writing abilities, especially if they want to build their personal brand as someone who knows how to lead and lead well.As a leader, youre likely writing a lot. It simply comes with the territory in most management or leadership positions. Whether its a quick memo or a larger thought leadership piece to be published in the company newsletter, every wo rd you write will reveal something about your character. So lets discuss how this happens and the reasons why to hone your writing skills even more if you are in a leadership role.Leaders are influencers and good writing influencesPhoto by Helloquence on UnsplashYouve likely often heard the adage, The pen is mightier than the sword. While this proverb was written in reference to a free press being more important than political violence, it holds true for other facets of life as well.Good writing can be enormously influential. It can sway hearts and minds, it can clarify points that were unclear, it can rally support for a cause, and it can bring people together with an inspiring message. As a leader, being able to do these things through your writing is crucial if you want to gain the type of respect and devotion great leaders need to get things accomplished.Particularly if a company is experiencing quick growth, sharing your vision and strategy through writing ensures that everyone is on the same page with a shared mission for the future. While writing doesnt replace face-to-face conversation, it can offer leaders a valuable way to connect with employees and relate information that is personalized to a particular department or initiative.Another reason leaders should be producing thoughtful, well-written content is that it allows them to be influencers within their industry, as well. Trade journals, industry magazines, online forums and many other publishing opportunities are available to push written content and build your brand as a thought leader and expert in your field.Leaders should model great communication skillsPhoto by Lubo Minar on UnsplashRonald Reagan, John Kennedy, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Jr.- some of the greatest leaders in history have also been great communicators and writers. Being able to speak comfortably (and write the same) to any audience is the mark of a leader who understands the importance of their position and doesnt take it lightly.And leaders like these also understood that every word spoken (or written) could have enormous consequences. Therefore, every word must be chosen with care and concern that seeks to avoid miscommunication or misunderstandings within an organization. As Mark Twain wrote, The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.Another mark of modeling these communication skills is when leaders are able to successfully communicate with people on their level. Whether this is speaking to employees, members of a board, leadership team peers, or another organization- finding the right words and expressions to connect with others is crucial to maintaining the kind of respect a leader needs to maintain to effectively lead others.Leaders should demonstrate creativity and passion- both can be done through writingPhoto by Ian Schneider on UnsplashSteve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, once said, You have to be burning with a n idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If youre not passionate enough from the start, youll never stick it out. He also practiced what he preached. According to this article, Steve Jobs passion and creativity not only helped found Apple- it moved the company into wildly unpredictable success through his constant push for new gadgets and fresh ideas being brought to life. Jobs was, above all else, creative in his pursuit of new technology and this became evident from his earliest leadership role.One of the easiest ways to demonstrate this level of passion and creativity is through writing. Something as simple as a company newsletter with articles from thought leadership circles allows employees to see the level of passion their leaders have for the organization and their role in it. Building on this, leaders can show their creativity through discussing ideas of future growth or changes while asking for feedback from others in the process.Leaders should be trusted an d poor writing/grammar decreases thatPhoto by Bernard Hermant on UnsplashWhen your writing is full of grammatical errors, poor word choice, confusing structure, or spelling issues, your audience will not take you as seriously- its a simple fact about human nature. This is especially true for leaders, who need to maintain integrity in their work, communication, and role as an influencer. Leaders work hard to build their image. They want to be seen as capable and trustworthy, especially in a time when there is a general lack of trust in leadership among employees. A lack of employee trust due to a leaders poor communication skills (whether written or spoken) can sow seeds of doubt in the leaders ability to do his or her job effectively.What to do (and what to avoid)Now that you understand the reasons why great leaders should be great writers, lets break it down into some best practices to follow, along with mistakes to avoid. These rules pertain to writing that is made public (or at l east available to everyone in the company), such as newsletters, online forums, industry publications or website content.As a leader, your writing should†¦Be positive, encouraging, hopeful and inspiring. These qualities make people want to read what you have written because they like to be uplifted and inspired.Be tactful. Sometimes choosing the right word can mean the difference between your writing coming across as disparaging or encouraging.Model the attitude and philosophy of your company, organization, or brand. As a leader, you are the voice of your company or department. Make sure that voice reflects well on your business.Be well researched, without inaccuracies in statistics or facts presented.Your writing should not†¦Include public shaming or fault-finding in others. This sort of negativity in purpose will only do more harm than good, in most situations. If there is a problem to address, it is often best handled through face-to-face conversation with the parties i nvolved.Have any grammar, syntax, punctuation, or spelling errors. As mentioned earlier, these types of easily avoidable mistakes can affect a leaders reputation negatively. With online editors available and many offering 1 to 2-hour turnaround times for projects, theres really no excuse to publish writing containing these errors.Include quotes or references to others work without proper citation of the source material.Above all, keep in mind that developing your skills as a writer isnt something that can happen overnight. Continue to learn best practices as a writer and expert in your field, and youll find that your writing will improve (along with your leadership skills).

Amplification Definition and Examples in Rhetoric

Amplification Definition and Examples in Rhetoric Amplification is a rhetorical term for all the ways that an argument, explanation, or description can be expanded and enriched. Also called rhetorical amplification. A natural virtue in an oral culture, amplification provides redundancy of information, ceremonial amplitude, and scope for a memorable syntax and diction (Richard Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 1991). In The Arte of Rhetorique  (1553), Thomas Wilson (who regarded amplification as a method of the invention) emphasized the value of this strategy: Among all the figures of rhetoric, there is no one that helpeth forward an oration and beautifieth the same with such delightful ornaments as doth amplification. In both speech and writing, amplification tends to accentuate the importance of a topic and  induce an emotional response (pathos) in the  audience. Examples and Observations In amplification, writers repeat something theyve just said while adding more details and information to the original description. . .The main purpose of amplification is to focus the readers attention on an idea he or she might otherwise miss.(Brendan McGuigan, Rhetorical Devices: A Handbook and Activities for Student Writers. Prestwick House, 2007) One of the Biggest Trees in Pittsburgh A massive tree centuries old holds out against the odds here across from my mothers house, one of the biggest trees in Pittsburgh, anchored in a green tangle of weeds and bushes, trunk thick as a Buick, black as night after rain soaks its striated hide. Huge spread of its branches canopies the foot of the hill where the streets come together. Certain times of day in summer it shades my mothers front porch. If it ever tore loose from its moorings, it would crush her house like a sledgehammer. . . . (John Edgar Wideman, All Stories Are True. The Stories of John Edgar Wideman. Random House, 1996) Bill Bryson on Britain's Landscapes In terms of natural wonders, you know, Britain is a pretty unspectacular place. It has no alpine peaks or broad rift valleys, no mighty gorges or thundering cataracts. It is built to really quite a modest scale. And yet with a few unassuming natural endowments, a great deal of time and an unfailing instinct for improvement, the makers of Britain created the most superlatively park-like landscapes, the most orderly cities, the handsomest provincial towns, the jauntiest seaside resorts, the stateliest homes, the most dreamily spired, cathedral-rich, castle-strewn, abbey-bedecked, folly-scattered, green-wooded, winding-laned, sheep-dotted, plumply hedgerowed, well-tended, sublimely decorated 50,318 square miles the world has ever knownalmost none of it undertaken with aesthetics in mind, but all of it adding up to something that is, quite often, perfect. What an achievement that is. (Bill Bryson, The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes From a Small Island. Doubleday, 2015)   Dickens on Newness Mr. and Mrs. Veneering were bran-new people in a bran-new house in a bran-new quarter of London. Everything about the Veneerings was spick and span new. All their furniture was new, all their friends were new, all their servants were new, their place was new, . . . their harness was new, their horses were new, their pictures were new, they themselves were new, they were as newly-married as was lawfully compatible with their having a bran-new baby, and if they had set up a great-grandfather, he would have come home in matting from Pantechnicon, without a scratch upon him, French-polished to the crown of his head. (Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, 1864-65) "More Light!" Goethes final words: More light. Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, thats been our unifying cry: More light. Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlelight. Neon. Incandescent. Lights that banish the darkness from our caves, to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators. Big floods for the night games at Soldiers field. Little tiny flashlight for those books we read under the covers when were supposed to be asleep. Light is more than watts and footcandles. Light is metaphor. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from homeLead Thou me on! Arise, shine, for thy light has come. Light is knowledge. Light is life. Light is light. (Chris Stevens, Northern Exposure, 1992) Henry Peacham on Amplification In The Garden of Eloquence  (1593), Henry  Peacham describes [the] effects [of amplification] in the following manner: It is full of light, plenty and variety causing the orator to teach and tell things plainly, to amplify largely, and to prove and conclude mightily. The very wording of this passage demonstrates the procedure of amplifying one term, amplification itself, and that with the purpose of catching the readers attention.(Thomas O. Sloane,  Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University Press, 2001) Selective Amplification Judgment is to be exercised in deciding what thoughts require amplification and what do not. A greater degree of expansion is necessary in oral than in written discourse; and in popular works than in purely scientific. A brief exposition may be sufficient for those who have some acquaintance with the subject, while in addressing those of less intelligence a greater fullness of details is necessary. It is always a most serious fault to dwell on what is unimportant, trivial, or what can be supplied by the reader; it indicates a want of the power of just discrimination on the part of the writer. (Andrew D. Hepburn, Manual of English Rhetoric, 1875) The Lighter Side of Amplification: Blackadder's Crisis This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if youve got a moment, its a twelve-story crisis with a magnificent entrance hall, carpeting throughout, 24-hour portage, and an enormous sign on the roof, saying This Is a Large Crisis. A large crisis requires a large plan. Get me two pencils and a pair of underpants. (Rowan Atkinson as Captain Blackadder in Goodbyeee. Blackadder Goes Forth, 1989) Pronunciation: am-pli-fi-KAY-shun Etymology: From the Latin enlargement