The column "Leadership Whiteboard" provides a short visual leadership coaching moment. It introduces and explains a new sketch in each issue, provides leadership coaching for further development, and shares a leadership quote and recommended book.
Leadership Whiteboard | Are You the "Write" Leader?
After hearing from many of you after my previous columns on writing, this seems to be a topic that resonates with many leaders. But, if you’re like me, writing on a whiteboard can feel intimidating. While my handwriting is legible, and my lines stay straight, I’ve yet to find a dry-erase marker that alerts me to misspellings with a helpful red squiggly line. For years, I’ve relied on grammar and spell checks to save me from embarrassing moments. Honestly, it would be easier not to write anything at all.
So why do leaders still put their words in writing?
Because framing your message on paper forces you to think through how others will receive it. Whether you’re preparing to speak, share an announcement, or shape a policy, your choice of words can carry multiple interpretations.
Take this example: “We need to talk.” Those words might feel parental or threatening. But if you rephrase it to, “Can we find time to discuss something important? I value your input,” the tone becomes inviting. Leaders rarely intend to sound harsh, but writing helps us catch a tone that might unintentionally creep in.
When you write, try to spot what’s not there. So much of our message lives in our heads, and we assume others understand what we mean. But assumptions leave gaps, and readers often fill them in ways we didn’t expect. That’s why writing clarifies not only what we say, but also how we plan to say it. It becomes a roadmap — first draft, then revision, then alignment with our intent.
Think of Lincoln. He didn’t scribble the Gettysburg Address in a single moment of brilliance. History shows he rewrote it multiple times. He was constantly refining so his message would not just be heard but also be remembered.
That’s what good writing does: it slows us down enough to sharpen our ideas. When we labor over word choice, parsing phrases and asking about tone, it breeds confidence and competence as you articulate with nuanced meanings and understandings.
We don’t write because we’re perfect communicators. We write and speak because we want to become better ones. The first draft is where intent begins, but edits are where clarity and leadership show up.
Write with this question in mind: How might someone interpret what I’m saying?
Consider your tone.
Consider the reader’s perspective.
Then write again.
You get one chance to make a first impression of your ideas; get it write!
