LEAD DIFFERENT

Insights for B2B tech leaders who want to sharpen their communication skills without slowing down. Same themes, new ideas, delivered weekly. No waffle - just bite sized substance.

Reputation & Trust – how to earn trust or get it back

Master The Trust Radar or Risk it All

The Trust Radar made up of Empathy, Transparency, Expertise and Commitment, shapes how people judge you.

Excelling in one isn’t enough. You must apply all four consistently, especially in moments of crises.

If you get it wrong, trust fractures quickly.

If you get it right when pressure’s highest, you won’t just save your reputation, you’ll strengthen it.

Want more? Read this book.

Narrative Power – The leadership story playbook

Build Stories that Stick

Strong business storytelling isn’t art, it’s structure.

Great stories share six basics: character, setting, theme, plot, conflict and resolution.

Who’s involved? Where and when? What’s the big idea? What happened? What was the struggle? How did it change things?

Anchor your complex messages to these elements, and you won’t just explain, you’ll make people remember.

Need the finer points? Read this.

Influence & Framing – Small moves, big impact

Own The Frame or Play Their Game

Framing isn’t spin. It’s how you shape meaning.

Political leaders have long understood it, and B2B tech leaders must too.

Frame your company as an accountable partner with clear commitments, a co-creator of solutions, a category leader, or a force for good, and you change how customers and investors respond.

If you don’t control the frame, you compete blind.

Learn from this classic.

Crucial Conversations – Navigating high-stakes comms

When You Set the Tone, You’re in Control

In high stakes conversations, your opening line shapes everything that follows, including whether you stay in control.

Start by naming shared goals, not personal faults.

Try: “I want us to find the best way forward” or “Let’s figure this out together.”

Words shape emotions.

Leaders who open with respect and humility set a steady course and stop small tensions from spiralling out of control.

Internal Comms – How to connect, not just inform

Real Talk, The Right Way, Gets Buy-in

When communicating change, employees judge credibility and delivery first.

A mass email decree triggers cynicism. A Town Hall signals respect.

State the change plainly. Explain the rationale commercially and culturally. Acknowledge disruption without sugarcoating.

Leaders who communicate with empathy, and importantly, invite honest pushback, maintain respect, loyalty, and engagement even through difficult transitions.

Getting Clear – Communication that cuts through

Ditch the cliches. They blur meaning and weaken your message.

Phrases like ‘innovative solutions’ or ‘cutting-edge capabilities’ sound impressive but mean nothing.

Be specific.

Instead of ‘innovative platform’, say, “a platform that cuts onboarding time by 40%.’

Instead of ‘trusted partner’, show how you deliver.

Real value beats buzzwords every time and makes you sound stronger, smarter, and far more credible.

Ask Edith - Your communication challenges, answered

We’re Doing The Right Thing But No One’s Buying It

Q: Our company is being criticised for greenwashing. We have real sustainability programs, but they’re getting lost in the scepticism. How do I communicate our efforts without sounding defensive or self-congratulatory?

A: You might be getting pushback because you’re talking about it too much, especially if your website or brochureware are full of grand claims like “sustainability is in our DNA” or “we’re fully committed to a greener tomorrow.” Tone it down. Talk less about your commitment and more about what you’ve actually done. Specific actions build trust. Overblown language kills it.

Got a communication challenge you want answered in the next issue of this newsletter? Reply to this email with your question and I’ll give you my perspective.

THE LEADERSHIP IMPRINT

30-second read how the best leaders communicate to leave a lasting mark, and what you can apply today.