Next time, kiddo: The power dynamics of language in business

Let me start by saying I wasn't the youngest in the world to start a business or be on a board, but I swear it felt like it. From being the youngest intern at my first job to being the youngest member of the first board I sat on, I've learnt a thing or two about language and ways to operationalise it.?

Quick spoiler for anyone looking for the "top hacks to grow a 7-figure business with my language tips" in this article...you won't find it here (or anywhere else, really) for two reasons. First, there is no quick, easy way to grow a business, so stop spending money on the 'easy' method - you're wasting your time.?

Second, my business partner, Bianca and I are in the messy middle of a lot of research regarding language, behaviour and business growth, and there is so much to talk about - WOW! So, no quick fix and no definitive answer as yet, only some food for thought if you're looking for a bite from the I/RISE research.

'Kiddo'

There is power in kiddo. It is endearing, playful, affectionate, sarcastic and powerful. Depending on where you are, what you're doing and what mood you are in, kiddo can warm your heart or really piss you off.?

I have a weird relationship with kiddo.?

I was the youngest in my team at the media firm I worked at in my early 20's. I came in as a manager, and I wouldn't describe my role as one of impactful leadership - when mistakes happened, I fixed it. When I knew something was going to crash and burn, I intervened while telling nobody what the issue was or how to avoid it. It wasn't just bad communication, it was the lack of it.?

Next time, kiddo.?

After leaving to join a tech company in a much more senior role, I needed to step it right up when it came to my management style. I was now heading up digital at a tech firm; I had ideas, and I was not shy to communicate them this time around. I kept presenting and pushing, but nobody seemed as excited as me.?

Each presentation ended with a next time, kiddo.?

I started Mapula Media at 23. I now had some experience, world-changing ideas and this time, I knew how to get my point across. Truthfully, I had no idea what I was doing. I was getting clients, sure, but I was reminded that I did not have the experience required to do what was seemingly expected. I wasn't influential enough yet. I hadn't listed the company on the stock exchange yet, I hadn't become a billionaire yet.?

I didn't have enough power to be taken seriously.??

Next time, kiddo.?

Power?

There is a lot of research on power in psychology. How it affects the way we live our lives, the decisions we make, the people we surround ourselves with. When asking some of our research recipients how they defined power, it circled back to influence how we influence events, people and ourselves to do what needs to be done.?

Interestingly no one mentioned money.?

While I was focused on gaining more power so people would listen, I lost a few clients on the way. My narrow view of power meant that I believed I needed to believe my own hype. I needed to exude pure, utterly annoying confidence in everything I did. I needed to know. it. all. Now, as we comb through hundreds of theories regarding power, language, and behaviour, my view on power has changed.?

I did not need power as a first time manager, board member or entrepreneur; I needed communication. I needed to know what I was not saying when I spoke and what I was saying when I was quiet. The relationship between power and language is what I needed to understand and that research is just not as available as it should be...yet. If we’re serious about growth for ourselves, our careers and our lives, we need to understand how to leverage a tool we use all day; our communication.??

This research is giving me invaluable insight and introspection into my own communication style and the strengths and weaknesses I can leverage to create meaningful impact. I am chomping at the bit for the next phase of research.

If you would like to be involved in the research, please get in touch with Bianca or myself.?

Until next time, kiddo.?