At The End Of The Day…It Is What It Is…
I wrote a post some time ago called “Quotes Are A Dime A Dozen” and it appears there are still many leaders who feel that there is no way they can make it through their day without using quotes or platitudes to express themselves. What is a platitude? A trite or banal remark or statement, expressed as if it were original or significant. Platitudes lack originality and therefore, there is no real conversation when you speak in such statements on and offline.
Most of us can rattle off these platitudes with ease, that’s because they have been ingrained in our minds by the thoughtless leaders who seem to spout these statements daily. It amazes me that we retain these statements and never the point behind them.
Leaders need to be themselves. Our words cannot be robotic, they must be human to relate to others. We communicate our best when put our thoughts in our own words and touch the person we are addressing. No one wants to be disrespected by the lack of ingenuity of leaders who cannot find the right words without searching Google.
At the end of day, it is what it is, but it shouldn’t be. We need to stop repeating platitudes and start repeating what’s within our hearts.
I never thought about it before because I have heard these platitudes so many times over the years… but you’re right, they are not a conversation – they certainly don’t forward the action or deepen any learning. My least favorite is actually failure is not an option. Kills me every time.
Thanks, Alli. Failure is not an option ranks pretty high for me as well. I believe we get desensitized to these phrases over time due to misuse and overuse. We tend to tune it out. It doesn’t lead us anywhere we want to go and tends to make leaders look foolish who use the statements as a way to convince others to be influenced.
You make a great point! I think leaders need to be authentic – the message is the key – not the delivery; I recall an anecdote where the “story telling” and the phrases used overcame the actual message and hence the outcome. My favorite is the “Great Job” email that arrives one after the other on the morning after a project goes live….It’s almost as if managers are trying to play catch up
Great job goes into the book of leaders who feel they must say it. Not that some aren’t sincere, but it does come across as being too easy and robotic when it is not said at the proper time. There are many ways leaders can give atta boys without being so inhuman in their response. Leaders must not make their leadership auto-pilot. Thanks for the comment.
Great point. I see and hear these platitudes often in the social networking circuits. When I see a genuine one, I stop and admire it and let it really sink in. I enjoy quotes. I think they offer great lessons. I especially enjoy original quotes from those thought leaders who I consider inspiring.
Thanks, Suzie. Yes, original quotes are great and I write many of those myself. What kills me are those who quote John Maxwell or Abraham Lincoln by just cutting and pasting those to their social platforms….it just doesn’t have any effect.