The Executive Voice

Still Communicating Like it’s 2016? That’s a Problem.

A decade ago, leadership language was full of phrases that sounded polished and vaguely purposeful, like “We may need to pivot”. “I’ll reach out and follow up”, and “This should move the needle.” “Lessons can be learned”. “We should review the results”, etc. This type of wording sounds okay, but is vague, soft, and blurry. Not the sort of language that is believable or confidence-building today.

In 2026, people are operating in a very different climate. Oil prices are jumping again. Geopolitical conflict is creating fresh uncertainty. AI has created a tectonic shift in how we live and work. Tech workers are watching layoff headlines roll in like thunder. Just last week, Oracle began cutting thousands of roles as part of its latest restructuring. In that environment, leadership language matters more, not less.

Today, people have less patience for language that sounds engineered and polished. When the world feels wobbly, employees don’t need verbal soothers. They need to know what matters, what happens next, what leaders know, and what they still don’t know.

According to this Forbes article, clear leadership communication sounds like this:

In uncertain times, people don’t expect leaders to have every answer. They do expect them to stop sounding like they’re avoiding one.

Is it time to check your cliches and empty, comforting platitudes that sound mildly positive but do little to galvanise employees to meet today’s challenges head-on?

Communication Power Skills

Leadership Words for Uncertain Times

The questions leaders need to ask and the statements they need to make today are more concrete, practical and unifying, like:

“What support do you need?”
Shows care, removes blockers, and puts people before process.

“Let’s clarify expectations.”
Clarity is still one of the most useful leadership tools.

“Thank you for your work/contribution”
Recognition still matters, especially under pressure.

“We’ll adjust as we learn.”
Signals flexibility, realism and calm leadership.

“What do you see as the best way forward?”
Invites contribution in a respectful, practical way and helps bring others into the solution.

“If something feels off, raise it early.”
Encourages openness and helps surface risks before they grow.

“We don’t need perfection. We need progress.”
Useful in fast-moving environments where overthinking can stall momentum.

“You may not agree with every part of this, but we won’t get there without your input.”
Acknowledges resistance without becoming defensive, while making it clear that progress depends on shared effort.

For more leadership questions and statements, download the guide below.

We Need to Improve Sales Language. Plus a Prompt That Helps.

If you’re feeling the strain, uncertainty, and fear of our times, your tech buyers are feeling the same. Which is why more than ever, what you say and how you say it to whom requires more critical thinking, not less. The same goes for writing your sales messages, whether a persuasive email, a pitch deck, or a complex tender response.

Avoid jargon words like ‘synergy’, technical acronyms not spelt out in full, use of fluffy marketing terms (‘AI native’), tired old cliches (“Do more with less”), superlatives (“a leading provider”), redundancies (“end result”), vague benefits (“unlock greater value”) plus weak proof points and copy entirely written by AI. Language like this is losing you more sales today than in the past.

I’m not saying don’t use AI when crafting sales copy (I do), but you shouldn’t just copy and paste. A top seller knows that good writing is about putting in the effort to refine the value proposition, strengthen persuasive elements, add nuances related to the buyer’s landscape, plus bring in specificity, commercial tension, and a reason for the buyer to care now. That’s the part the AI can’t do on its own.

And when using AI, it’s important to give it the right prompt so it can help you produce quality sales messages. Here is one for you, below.

Use this prompt to craft sales copy that sounds more human and persuades without the fluff.

PwC’s AI-First Rebrand. A Lesson in Positioning?

Last week, I read with interest the AFR piece on PwC’s consulting division's adoption of AI. At a time when many tech companies are framing workforce cuts as part of their AI shift, the firm appears to be taking a different path. It’s positioning itself as a company using AI to deliver faster to clients while offering staff “sustainable working hours,” with Head of Consulting, Rohit Antao, saying, “We’re not looking at AI as a cost-saving tool,” emphasising it was “an amplification tool so we can do more with the same teams we have.“

POV: Antao’s language is warm and human, but the case study cited in the article still signals the same underlying shift: materially less labour. If six advisers and 18 AI agents can do work that once required 40 developers, AI may be presented as a partner, but it’s also reducing the number of people needed. Still, PwC’s AI message isn’t just about innovation. It’s also a timely way to project progress, credibility and renewal after scandal and slower growth. Part of their 2030 plan includes broader use of AI across the business, and nearly 200 consulting partners undertaking formal AI training.

In my opinion, it’s a smart rebrand move and a strong example of how to position your tech company as AI-first without inspiring fear and insecurity.

Phrase of the Week

AI-first: When AI is embedded in how a company operates, delivers services and creates value, not as an add-on, but as a core part of the business.

There’s a lot of apprehension, foreboding and alarm in the air right now. Economic pressure, job uncertainty, social division, wars, and dizzying technological change are truly frightening. People feel it, whether leaders acknowledge it or not. That’s why horror is such a useful storytelling lens for this moment. Horror gives shape to what people struggle to name.

For many, their worst fears have been realised. The monster is no longer under the bed. It’s standing over us: disruption, irrelevance, distrust, being replaced or being left behind. The storytellers who understand the mood of ‘the culture’ right now and know how to work with it will resonate more deeply than those peddling unrealistic optimism.

It’s all about recognising the emotional reality of the moment and speaking to it honestly. The best leadership and sales stories don’t ignore fear. They name it, frame it and show people a credible path through it.

Go ahead. Shape a horror story to your advantage.

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