LEAD DIFFERENT

Welcome to Lead Different - delivering strategic communication on the edge of AI and upheaval - helping you shift thinking and mobilise change.

This week in:

• Reputation and Trust - How to win back trust, no matter the violation

• Narrative Power - As AI redefines roles, tell a different hero story

• Influence and Framing - Use micro-commitments to get a big yes

• Crucial Conversations - The way to disagree without dominating

• Internal Comms - Drop the lifeless corporate tone. Speak human.

• Getting Clear - Make strategy real. Say what you actually mean.

• Ask Edith - Turn acquisition headaches to integration wins

• The Leadership Imprint - Communication lessons from Dylan Field, CEO of Figma

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

Trust Recovery Playbook

Small mistakes over time weaken trust while issues of business misconduct or perceived leadership transgressions may even break it. But no mistake is irreparable.

The Trust Recovery Playbook outlines 8 steps to win trust back:

1. Own it fast

2. Lead with transparency

3. Apologise like you mean it

4. Centre the impacted

5. Show the fix

6. Bring in credibility

7. Communicate often

8. Rebuild ongoing trust

Every step matters. Executed well, they help you restore a reputation your organisation can stand behind with pride and confidence.

For more, download the Trust Recovery Playbook, below. 👎

Narrative Power – The leadership story playbook

A Different Hero Story In The Age of AI

We’re in a new era of tectonic upheaval - on par with the Industrial Revolution - as AI reshapes roles, rewrites business models and redefines how work gets done.

Your employees may be anxious and resistant, caught between headlines of mass layoffs and the soaring salaries of AI engineers.

To reduce fear and unlock forward momentum, it’s time to reshape the narrative. Give your employees a new hero role to step into, one where they’re not left behind by AI, but equipped to lead with it:

Here’s how you might craft new hero personas:

1. The Augmenter
   Skilled in their craft, this employee doesn’t fear automation, they use it to showcase their speed, insight and impact. They collaborate with AI, not compete with it.

2. The Translator

   Equally fluent in business needs and emerging tech, they connect the dots between AI capabilities, and real world outcomes. They turn models into meaning.

3. The Integrator

   This team player bridges human and machine - embedding AI into workflows, spotting friction, and making change stick. They turn disruption into daily practice.

Change is never easy especially when it feels like the ground is shifting beneath your team. This is where storytelling and creation of new hero archetypes can rally your people, and inspire them to lead the future, not fear it.

Influence & Framing – Small moves, big impact

Use Micro-Commitments To Build Momentum

Big decisions are rarely one bold leap. They’re built on a steady rhythm of small, confident steps. And the right small ask often gets you the bigger yes, faster.

E.g., Instead of, “Can we move forward with the proposal?”, try, “Would it help if I mapped out two options for the next steps?”

Small agreements lower resistance, build trust and keep decisions moving forward. Use it for sales and contract negotiations, investor pitches, roadmap reviews, strategic alignment or any conversation where you need to influence commitment.

You probably know this but like me, might not use it often enough to create the velocity you need.

Crucial Conversations – Navigating high-stakes comms

Disagree Without Dominating

Disagreement isn’t the problem. But how you disagree might be.

In B2B tech, challenge is essential but often it can turn into a status play. The wrong tone (superior, patronising or bullying) can shut people down. A curious approach, however, keeps the conversation open.

Here are some ways to challenge ideas without triggering defensiveness:

• “Here’s a different take” vs the insulting, “You’re missing the point.”

• “What if we looked at it from another angle?” vs the aggressive, “That logic doesn’t make sense.”

• “I see where you’re coming from. Can I build on it?” vs the patronising, “That’s not how we should be thinking about this.”

• “There’s another way we could frame this.” vs the superior, “You’re wrong about how that works.”

Subtle shifts that focus on ideas and not ego (“I’m right, you’re wrong) help differences of opinion land constructively, leading to sharper thinking all round.

Internal Comms – How to connect, not just inform

Drop The Lifeless Corporate Tone. Speak Human.

People don’t connect with robotic comms. Write and speak like a person, not a corporate cut-out. Use warmth where possible, seriousness where needed. “We know this isn’t easy” lands better than “We appreciate your patience.”

Key changes that need to set the right emotional tone from leaders:

• Job loss anxiety: Don’t just outline your AI strategy, speak to the human impact

• Low sales performance: Offer support and solutions, not pressure or shame

• Team acquisition: Focus on belonging and culture, not just systems and processes

• Change fatigue: Acknowledge the strain before you ask for more

• Missed targets: Lead with clarity, next steps, and shared accountability, not blame

In a time of layoffs, restructures, AI disruption, and rapid shifts, communicating like a human and not a bot isn’t a soft skill, it’s fundamental to credible leadership.

Getting Clear – Communication that cuts through

Make Strategy Real. Say What You Actually Mean.

Abstract sounds smart but concrete language gets remembered.

“Strategic alignment” sounds impressive, but says little. Try: “Sales, Product and Marketing are focussed on the same customer goals.”

Concrete words ground your message in reality and provide specifics - and are especially important when communicating strategic pivots. Sure, it’s more words but if it adds clarity and opens up meaning, it’s words well spent.

More examples of abstract v concrete phrasing during critical moments of change:

Ramping up AI transformation
Abstract: “We’re accelerating our AI transformation.”
Concrete: “AI sales agents are now part of our process, which is expected to generate 20% more qualified leads every week.”

Cost-cutting
Abstract: “We’re implementing cost-cutting measures.”
Concrete: “We’re renegotiating supplier contracts and pausing non-critical hires to reduce spend by 15%.”

Talent Retention
Abstract: “We’re investing in reskilling our workforce.”
Concrete: “We’re providing intensive AI training for selected teams while phasing out roles that no longer align with where we’re headed.”

In times of change, show what strategy looks like, so people know how to act on it.

Ask Edith - Your communication challenges, answered

From Acquisition Headache to Integration Win

Q: We’ve just acquired three companies. Their offering is valuable, but we need them integrated fast. How do we bring them in without losing momentum or people?

A: People fear being erased, so show them where they fit using:
Message discipline: Develop one clear narrative. Communicate it early, often, and consistently, especially to middle managers.
Symbolic wins: Highlight quick wins that reflect shared purpose, not dominance.
Cultural bridge-builders: Identify and empower connectors who can translate between the orgs. Elevate these connectors as representatives of leadership.
Workstream fusion: Align systems, incentives, and rhythms without forcing uniformity.
New story, jointly told: Co-create a vision that borrows from both legacies. People stay when they see a future they helped shape.
Integration isn’t so much a process, as it is a persuasion challenge. Nail the narrative, and the rest moves faster.

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.