Influencing with Words: 5 Ways Managers Communicate Power (Part 1)

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We all know great leaders tend to be great communicators. I mean, think about who is the best communicator you've ever heard. When I thought about this, the first person that comes to mind is Ronald Reagan. He was really the first president that I can remember, truly remember. And I just remember thinking how, I guess, cool he was back then. I was into cool. But as I look back now, I marvel at his wit, at his timing, his sense of—, Just the way that he responded to questions, just amazing.

But what exactly do people who are enthralled by these communicators, what do we find so compelling about the way these people speak? That's what this article takes care of in five ways leaders can communicate power. Your words are as important as your presence. It's by Chris Lipp. It's from July 2025, Harvard Business Review.

Now, this article talks about how they found one important but often overlooked hallmark of effective speakers, and that's their ability to convey power, not through their presence, but through their words, mastering the language of power. So using tone, using phrasing. Using different topics, different patterns, and using, of course, appropriate words at the right time, that can dramatically enhance your success in managerial roles.

It can secure resources for your projects and initiatives, win the admiration of followers, get what you need done for your job and for your direct reports. I mean, it's very, very important. And in this article, they highlight five techniques that we can use to level up our speaking by communicating your power. So the first one is focus on action. Powerful leaders must deliberate on important decisions, weighing pros and cons with input from other people.

But when they communicate, they focus on action. So let's take this example. I'm going to give you a neutral example, and then I'll give you a powerful example. And this is right out of the article. Neutral example. There are several options in front of us. If we go with option A, we may secure our reputation with existing customers. On the other hand, if we go with option B, we may have the opportunity to expand our market share.

Okay, how did that land? Let's see how this one lands. This is a more powerful option according to the research. While option A would help us secure our reputation with existing customers, option B is the clear choice to strengthen and expand our position. Now, let's plan the execution. First, we must hire staff to fill the necessary roles, and then we will reach out to the media.

So you can obviously see in that last example, and the one they say is more powerful, you can see all the action that it's focused on. Research suggests that both statements that I read convey equal competence. They have the exact same information in them. But the second statement is seen as much more powerful, more leader-like, more managerial, and more likely to gain status.

All right, the second concept here is to think big. Today's leaders are buried in metrics, KPIs, conversion charts, engagement rates, all these things. They're all facts and facts inform, but they don't illuminate. Research shows that leaders are perceived as more powerful when they think and speak more abstractly, stepping back from the data to present the bigger picture.

One study, for example, found that startup founders who describe their ventures in more concrete terms are less likely to get funded than those who use abstract descriptions. So let's compare and contrast here. So here's a neutral fact-based statement. Customer retention has increased by 2.5% this quarter, meaning 1,250 more customers have stayed with us. A more powerful and more abstract sentence might be, more customers are choosing to stay with us.

This isn't just about growth, it's about trust. If we build on this momentum, we can turn satisfied users into lifelong advocates. So obviously you can see how data informs, good facts there, but abstraction elevates. That's why we label visionaries as great leaders. In fact, in Daniel Goldman's work on what makes a leader, the visionary leader was the most powerful, the one that's most likely to affect positive morale throughout the organization.

So when you speak, whether you include data or not, your power arises from presenting a broader perspective.

I'm going to leave it there to let you chew on those two, you know, about thinking big and about focusing on action. And in the next cast, we'll take care of the next three, basically taking the hit, assessing others, and directing the spotlight. So be sure to tune in for that and tell your friends about the podcast. Hope you're doing well. and until the next time we meet in the Manager Lab, do good work.