Stop Talking, Start Landing a Point

If you have done your homework and solid self-esteem, you should be able to get to the point, make the point, and then find creative ways to repeat the point.

Recently, I was coaching a woman running for a leadership position in a professional organization. She knew that she would have the opportunity to address the delegates, so we rehearsed her speech together. With each round of practice, however, the speech kept getting longer. And longer. Until I finally stopped her. “Sina,” I said, “you are rambling. Get to the point. Make the point. Repeat the point.”

Whoever first articulated that rule deserves lasting credit. It is a valuable guiding principle in modern communication especially in an age where people are busy, distracted, and impatient.

And it applies perfectly to politics.

I often hear politicians in the political center say to me, “Louis, we’re at a disadvantage. It’s much easier for populists on the left and right to be short and simple.” They are not wrong. It is easier for populists to compress complex realities into slogans. But that does not mean centrists are condemned to long explanations and convoluted messaging. A centrist position as well can be expressed clearly, concisely, and memorably. It just probably requires more work.

My hypothesis is this: with very few exceptions, almost any political message can be communicated in a short and simple way. The real obstacle is rarely complexity. More often, it is ego.

Some politicians talk too much because they enjoy hearing themselves speak. Others talk too much because they are still trying to convince themselves that they are right. Both impulses are understandable, but counterproductive.

If you have solid self-esteem and confidence in your ideas, you should be able to get to the point, make the point, and then find creative ways to repeat the point.

In politics, as in leadership, saying less—when it is said well—often achieves far more.

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