Be the messenger, not just the manager
I have mercury on my mind.
Why mercury? In Roman mythology Mercury was the messenger of the gods, famous for his speed, his winged sandals and helmet - and his ability to carry important messages between different worlds.
He gave his name to Freddie Mercury, one of the greatest on-stage communicators of them all.
There are many other uses of the word mercury – each with a crucial leadership lesson for credibility under pressure.
For now, let’s stick with Mercury the Messenger.
We see it all the time in organisations; leaders thinking their communication job is done because they’ve sent the message.
They might have forwarded an email or shared an update with their team. Then they move on.
Being the messenger means more than acting as a delivery service.
It means helping people understand what it means for them, why it matters and what happens next.
That requires a clear focus on who you’re communicating with. Often it needs courage to deliver a message people won’t like.
And it definitely means giving up trying to sound important through big words and complex phrases. As my latest video explains, leaders need to stop sounding smart and start being clear. https://youtu.be/dBspr3LYVa0
To be a credible leader, you don’t need Mercury’s winged helmet. But you do need to own the message.
