Leadership Talk
January 2007

• Example: “Utilize” vs “Use”

There seems to be a growing trend: using longer words to convey simple meanings. This month’s word is an example: Why use the word “utilize” when “use” suffices? Seems to me people just want to sound more knowledgeable or important. Unfortunately, too many syllables can muddle the mind. When in doubt, use the shorter word. It will help you communicate more clearly and succinctly.

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Word of the Month

“AWE” - An experience of admiration evoked in recognition of the Divine. Like stopping long enough to watch a crimson sunset streaked across the sky, or a field full of flowers waving in the wind, or your child’s smile.

When you say someone is “awesome” you mean you admire that person; that you feel connected to something. Awe does that. It produces a feeling that is a mixture of admiration, respect and inspiration but to a greater degree than any one of those terms means alone. Appreciation begets admiration which gives birth to awe.
For some people to be in awe of someone has come to mean that you’re frightened of that person in some way or that you think they are better than you. This is not the case. If someone awes you, something inside you is resonating with whatever it is that that someone has reflected back to you. In other words, you wouldn’t feel awe, or admiration, or reverence, or respect for someone if the qualities you admired in them weren’t already in you.

Awe produces grateful tears, a Mona Lisa smile and random bursts of laughter. Awe is the inside joke of the truly enlightened. That’s why so many children laugh so much.

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Leadership Language Archives