One sentence I’m trying to stop saying as a leader
“I just want to make sure this makes sense.”
I’ve said this sentence more times than I can count. Usually right before or right after sharing an idea I care about.
On the surface, it sounds considerate. Collaborative. Even humble.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve had to face this year: Most of the time, that sentence isn’t about the room. It’s about my own hesitation.
When I say it, I’m quietly backing away from my authority. I’m asking for permission to stand behind my thinking. I’m lowering the heat before the fire has even had a chance to build.
And that matters, because leading with fire isn’t about being loud or forceful. It’s about staying with your conviction long enough for others to feel it too.
So this year, I’m practicing saying the thing without cushioning it. Letting the idea land. Trusting that if something doesn’t make sense, the room is capable of engaging with it… without me preemptively shrinking it.
So instead of “I just want to make sure this makes sense,” I’m trying:
“Here’s how I’m thinking about this.”
“This is my current perspective.”
Or sometimes… nothing at all.
A pause. Space. Heat.
Because the quiet cost of that one familiar sentence is that it trains people – over time – not to fully trust what you’re offering.
Reflect:
What’s a sentence you lean on that quietly dilutes your own authority?
Tell me on LinkedIn and I’ll give you a sentence swap!
Lead the way,
