“Change We Can Believe In” is the mantra that fueled the 2008 presidential campaign that put Barack Obama into the White House. Obama staffers used that phrase to keep campaign messages in focus and on target.

This is a lesson that leaders must learn in their own communications. Simplicity is good, but when you are too simple you end up sounding paternalistic, that is, speaking down to an audience. It is as if the leader does not trust the people listening to understand his own brilliance. That is a fallacy and it has cost many a leader, particularly corporate leaders the trust of their own people. So what can you do to keep things simple?

Set the hook . Every speaker wants to get people to listen to her. But how? Speechwriters call it “setting the hook,” that is, opening with something provocative that gets people to think about what you say. That provocation is intended to pique interest and get them to listen to more. For example, a leader might say something like, “Let us focus on the future and how we will get there.” Or she might turn it into a question, “Have you considered how you will help us achieve our future and what things will be like for you?” Both are appropriate starting points, but the second one involves the listener in the process. That will get people interested and encourage them to listen for more.

Provide back up . The hook can slip out, if the speaker is not careful. You need to supply information that supports your message so that people are sufficiently informed. What might this be? It’s the meat, or as marketers call it, the freight, the supporting documentation for your message. That is, if you are calling for an increase in production, you had better back that statement up with facts, figures and data that support your message. Likewise if you are asking people to support your call to action, you had better make certain tell them that following you is the right thing to do for the company. And if possible, why it is the right them for them as individuals. That can be a tough sell, but if the issue is important speakers must deliver on it.

Tell stories . One of the best ways to make your message come alive, and keep the hook firmly embedded in your listener’s consciousness, is to surround it with stories. All of us learn from stories; it is a primal form of communications. And so stories that support your message are critical. The stories may come from the pages of your newspaper or the annals of history. Often they may come from inside the doors of your own company. Talk up the desires to do something useful, the obstacles they have overcome, and the great results they have achieved.

Keeping it simple is not simplistic; it just makes good sense.

Does your CEO need to be a “regular guy (or gal)”? The notion that employees want a leader with whom they might share a beer or a hot dog is really an expression for something more – a plea for accessibility. That applies even more in the corporate world. We want our bosses to understand us as people. So how do you make yourself accessible? Here are some suggestions:

Be present. Leaders need to be seen and heard. Leaders need to make their presence felt by walking the floor, stopping by the cubicle, and even eating in the cafeteria. Bosses I know who succeed are those that know everyone in their department, but more importantly everyone in the department knows the boss. Most often, each feels as if they could knock on the boss’s door and make their viewpoint heard.

Be open . Listen to what people say. Just listening conveys a sense of caring. It also opens the door for conversation about the workplace. Bosses do not mingle simply to schmooze; they do it with purpose, perhaps to learn more, problem-solve, or simply contribute advice. Listening is a powerful investment in the lives of your employees.

Be with us . When things get tough, be it an economic downturn or troublesome internal problem, people want to know their boss has their backside. A big complaint about Carly Fiorina’s leadership at Hewlett-Packard was the feeling that she saw herself apart from the others. To be fair, Ms. Fiorina was met with downright hostility when she pushed for the merger with Compaq and the culture of H-P resisted her new ideas. Yet even after the merger she was not perceived to be as one of the team. That sense of apartness eventually contributed to her exit from H-P.

One more point. In my experience employees rarely give two hoots about their CEO or senior leadership team unless that person connects with them in a genuine way. That point was driven home to me when I was interviewing employees of GM’s Saturn unit for a piece I was writing on the late Skip LeFauvre. The comments from white and blue collar, union and non-union, were remarkably similar; they adored him. Why? Because he was accessible to them. He went where the work was and engaged people in real conversations about the work and their lives. I know the feeling was mutual because Skip was long gone from Saturn by the time I was doing my research.

Authenticity has become sadly a buzz word co-opted by everyone from political commentators to corporate philosophers. Regardless, the sentiment remains. People want to know that their leaders are sincere and can be counted on to walk the talk, in good times and in bad.

Question: I’m the project leader of my team. Everyone’s doing a pretty good job but there is one person who is not pulling his weight. He shows up late for meetings, does not contribute, and he never makes his deadlines. Plus, no one likes him. This has been going on for almost a year. What can I do Answer Man?

Answer man: First things first, stop covering for him. Obviously this person is not happy to be on your team but his lack of performance is a direct reflection of your management style. You’ve let this guy slide for a year? What are you thinking? That suddenly he’s going to wake up and turn into top performer. Stop kidding yourself and stop harming your team.

So here’s what you can do?

One, find out why he’s not performing. How? Ask him. Schedule a conversation to find out what he thinks about the work, your team, and your own management style. Rule out any personal issues at home that may cause him to miss deadlines. That is, does he have a sick spouse, a child with special needs, or an elderly parent who needs extra assistance.

If none of those applies to a degree that should hinder performance, then find out why he is not contributing. Often people like him have been turned off by the company in some way and so they act out their frustration by non performance. Is this stupid? Of course, but when people feel they have been mistreated they

Two, tell him that his non performance is unacceptable. Now, reach out. Ask him how he would like to contribute. Get him to make suggestions for improvement. Excuses are not acceptable; only suggestions.

Three, make it clear that you expect him to start improving or else. Define what “else” means. That is, if your team member does not come to meetings on time, contribute more work, or meet his deadlines he will be removed from the project.

Four, gain his agreement. The “else” is meaningless unless you give him a specific timeline for improvement and he agrees to it.

Five, follow up . Check back in a week to see how the person is doing. Stay vigilant. Make it clear that backsliding is not acceptable. If he shows improvement, thank him for pulling through. If he fails to live up to your agreement, then you must follow-through and remove him from your team.

As painful as it is to have a non-performer on your team, it can be more painful, not to mention disruptive, to the performers on your team. Putting up with non-performers puts more stress on others and drains your time and energy when you cover for them. Better to coach for improvement, or cut your losses than have the condition persist.

If you have a question that you’d like the Answer Man to tackle, post your question in the comment section.

Days before the election, comedian Jon Stewart teased candidate Barack Obama about not wanting the presidential job. After all since Obama had started running in early 2007, as Peter Baker of the New York Times noted, the job of president had become much harder in part because of the global financial meltdown as well as a rising tide of security issues. Obama shook off the joke and said that this crisis is what you want to be president for – tough times. As president-elect Obama, he certainly has what he has asked for. How he handles these issues as well as crises to arise will test his ability to lead.

There is one advantage that Obama will have -- a solid Democratic majorities both houses of Congress. These majorities will ensure favorable reception of his proposals. But that electoral supremacy could also spell doom, if Obama is perceived to put party before people. To his credit, Obama has shown more interest in bipartisanship than one party rule. As such Obama sets an example for any corporate chieftain facing big challenges. Here are some suggestions for leading when the stakes are high.

Own the problem . The problems facing the president are wide and deep. Talking about them will not make them going away. That is what candidates do; presidents act. The president must define in clear terms what the problem is and ask for solutions as well as offer some of his own. Corporate leaders too must own up to the problems in ways that demonstrate understanding as well as responsibility.

Challenge your team. Some Congressional Democrats may be tempted to act like peacocks on parade as they widen their control of Capitol Hill. It will be up to President-elect Obama to hold them in check by challenging them to come up with solutions that benefit all of the people, not simply party partisans. Likewise, senior leaders who challenge their direct reports are those who push for robust solutions, not ready-made ones.

Leverage your confidence . Obama, in part by upbringing as well as in style, is one who is confident enough in himself to reach across the aisle to seek bipartisanship. This will be critical in finding an exit strategy in Iraq and a way forward in Afghanistan. Both are thorny issues will require the best developed solutions of both parties, not to mention our coalition partners and NATO. Likewise corporate leaders can use their position to reach out to those who disagree, first making it clear that their support is vital but also making it clear that sabotage of initiatives will not be tolerated.

And there is something else the president or any successful leader must do, especially when taking charge. Select a team of dissenters. Ego gets a leader to the top, but ego alone will not ensure results. A leader needs to build a team of individuals who will support her ideas but also provide her with plenty of disagreement. When creating a team of thinkers and doers, the leader must insist on strong and healthy debate to ensure all initiatives are thoroughly considered from different points of view. You want smart people who not afraid to speak their minds. That’s good advice for any leader to keep at the ready when building a team of people who will help lead an organization out of crisis and into better times.

Big problems create big opportunities for leaders big enough to take on the challenge.

It’s never easy to fall short of a goal you have been working on for months and years. But cold hard reality tells us that we fail far more than we succeed. And for that reason, executives whose projects have failed would do well to pay attention to Senator John McCain’s concession speech delivered the night of his electoral defeat for president.

On the stump McCain can display a fierceness that can lurch into grumpiness. But Election Night, we glimpsed the John McCain that those who know and report on him have found his better side, the one capable of magnanimity and grace. For executives looking to close a project with style, here’s how to do it.

Congratulate the other side . This is pretty standard but McCain, co-author of so many books on history, courage and character, praised President-elect Obama for an outstanding campaign and a well-earned place in American history. Leaders do well when they show that they respect worthy challengers, even when the outcome brings personal disappointment.

Praise your followers . You must thank the people who helped you achieve. No leader accomplishes much by himself; leadership is about mobilizing others to your cause. This is especially true for managers. You will need your team to rise again to meet the next challenge. You cannot leave them wallowing in defeat. You must energize them.

Pledge unity . Campaigns are nasty enterprises; invectives fly fast and furious. But once the election is over, people need to come together. McCain urged his supporters to do the same; he said he regarded Barack Obama as “his president.” Leaders need to win over those who disagree with them. It is not always possible, but the effort must be extended. When people see their leader setting the right example, they may be inclined to follow suit.

Repeat your ideals . Talk up what you stood for and why you did what you did. Defeat is bitter, but from it can emerge lessons learned. It is vital to talk about what you did right and how you demonstrated positive outcomes. Shared goals are what bring people together.

John McCain also displayed a sense of character that David Brooks, speaking on PBS’s NewsHour, coverage, called “romantic.” The love that McCain has for his nation is palpable; after all he has served his nation since he was seventeen. His goal was to win the presidency but he was able to summon the gumption to put partisanship aside and pledge to work with the other side. His life in politics has been one of bipartisanship.

This is a lesson for anyone in corporate who feels passed over for a promotion. Your option may be to leave, but if you stay, you owe it to your company to be loyal. You must work for the greater good of the whole organization and put aside your own disappointment. Easy to say, and very hard to implement, but John McCain demonstrates that it can and should be done.

Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/