Disclaimers…

A few years ago, after listening to a really strong guru for a really long time, I issued a specific, concrete, and actionable challenge to him. I was confident this challenge, if he took it in and worked it, would make him better. I told him to stop the disclaimer. His habit was to finish the communication of his idea with a disclaimer of sorts. He would have good ideas, oftentimes with crystal clarity and he would confuse his audience with his patented disclaimer. He would finish his sending with…

“Anyways. Or, I don’t know.” Disclaimers belong at the end of car commercials not at the end of your good idea. Fact.

Today, I gave another guy similar feedback. He tends to send his ideas with his own kinda disclaimer. He prefers to end his communication with, “It might help, It might make it better, or the classic default of I don’t know.”

Of course you and I don’t know. According to most intellectual types, all we “know” with certainty are death and taxes. However, you adding your disclaimer at the end of your communication adds zero cred and, instead, creates more doubt. Zero cred and loads of doubt are NOT the ones you want.

Master connectors, remember, speak from their heart, share their ideas, their beliefs, their challenges, their comforting thoughts and leave it at that. STOP the disclaimers, please. Disclaimers provoke doubt. Disclaimers come from insecurity. If you are about to open your mouth and your mind is filled with fear, anxiety, and doubt, please do us all a favor and shut it up. You are not ready to be heard…

Slow down and reflect. Take a deep breath. Resolve your inner conflict and decide to either connect your audience to your idea or connect with your audience by asking good, open ended questions that lead to clarifying your idea before you open your big mouth.

BTL leaders are both “my way IS the highway, and curious George.

They share their idea openly. They believe it represents the highway to performance. They are open to others ideas but only if they come with clarity and a better argument. When they don’t know the way forward, they admit as much and the curious questions come with rapidity and purpose. BTL leaders are both confident of their highway and curious about yours. BTL leaders ask open ended, curious questions when they’re confused.

BTL leaders are my way IS the highway, and curious George. And, neither one comes with a built in disclaimer…