The Importance of Knowing How to "Talk The Walk"
A common phrase and desired attribute in business is to “walk the talk” — that is, to do what you say you will. However, a turn on that phrase is to “talk the walk,” that is: to be able to explain, in language that is specific to your field of business, the importance of doing the right things. Bill Taylor, in his article “The Best Leaders Talk the Walk”, explains how Gilbert and Emerson urged their colleagues to embrace this idea. “There are countless small opportunities for people to tweak a product, or improve a process, that lead to big wins in the marketplace.”
As a reader of this blog, you are probably on your own personal journey to become a prosperous leader. I hope you’ve already read Chapter 1 of The Prosperous Leader: Know Yourself to Lead Others. If you haven’t, that’s a great place to start. You may already be searching for a way to lead others – and according to Taylor, learning to “talk the walk” is one way to accomplish this. So, ask yourself:
Have you developed a vocabulary of competition that helps everyone understand what makes your company or team special?
Do you know what it takes for your team to be at their best?
Can you explain what separates you from the pack?
Why do you expect to win?
Even as you make sure to walk the talk, do you know how to talk the walk?
