I recently attended a conference where a large portion of my time was spent speed dating. No, it was not for a future intimate relationship with a partner for life. Instead, it was to learn more about hosting events to develop executive leaders, influence the next generation of leaders at the high school level, and champion a cause for being a fiduciary in managing the development of others as a Registered Life Planner.

What I noticed about the change in my behavior from day one to day two is that I started off being transactional and shifted to becoming relational. While I work with leaders to develop this very important skill, I wanted to use myself as a research subject for another skill I develop in leaders, and that is to become more self-aware. That requires listening to yourself in real time and noticing the difference between your intention and impact. Sometimes they do not align.

Hi, I’m Byron Darden with this edition of Leading with Purpose on Purpose. In this installment, we are exploring regenerative language. You might say it is the difference between trash talk, which boils down to a form of insulting, taunting, or boastful speech used to intimidate others, and its opposite, which amounts to praise, complimenting, or extolling for the purpose of lifting others up and speaking highly of people, places, events, or things.

Think about it. Which would you rather hear? When you are leading people, the second choice can surely make a difference in the kind of work environment people experience and their desire to remain a part of it.

Enjoy!

Discover how The Language We Use Shapes the Environment We Create