Minimalize This
By Pete Janhunen, The Fratelli Group
When it comes to technology and pop culture, I am a classic late adopter. Witness my latest passion for “The Sopranos,” a classic TV show that I am only now bada-binge watching. One of the most alluring elements of the show is the distinctive leadership style of mob boss Tony Soprano.
Tony is, at best, a mixed exemplar of leadership in action (violence as a motivator is not generally recommended). But one scene in particular caught my attention the other day. Tony and his designated number two, Christopher, are getting ready for a tense meeting with the leader of another family. Tony instructs his deputy that if a certain sensitive subject comes up, he is to say nothing. Not a word.
As you know (if you were among the millions who saw the show in its heyday) or can guess, Chris tells Tony not to worry — and then proceeds to completely ignore the guidance, blabbing on when the subject comes up during the meeting. Needless to say, the meeting goes poorly, Tony is steamed and Chris gets a slap upside the head.
The scene caught my attention because it reinforced one of the prime truths of effective leadership communications: Less is more.
Minimalism — paring down our lives to the things that matter most, while walking away from the clutter — is a powerful communications tool. “The buck stops here.” “I shall return.” “Tear down this wall!” Great leaders wield the minimalist tool with regularity and to great effect.
I remember getting some great advice from a boss who told me that his approach to attending group meetings was to let everyone else do the talking until his opinion was sought. The strategy worked — by the time he spoke he had the benefit of weighing the politics of the room, time to formulate a coherent strategy and the ability to shape his role in solving the problem being discussed.
After my first big promotion, I tried to put his strategy into action. When I was disciplined about it, it worked like a charm. I was able to dedicate my full energy and focus to ensuring that my opinions were based on solid evidence and connected to others’ points of view. I was positioned to shape the outcome.
When I charged into a meeting with an opinion I just had to share, however, I lost my edge. I shaped nothing. The professional world is full of people taking that approach — diving in before being invited to speak, stepping on their peers with fevered speech and wasting time with words that don’t amount to much.
Leaders at all levels can take this lesson to heart: Give minimalism a chance. As a start, try my mentor’s approach when you attend your next group meeting — if only as an experiment. Or try to be the last to talk on the next conference call, using the time to choose your words wisely. Or just commit to keeping your next ten emails to two sentences at most. Try it on for size.
At the very least, you’ll save yourself and your colleagues a little precious time.
