Why The Language of Leadership Matters During Disruption

Change puts people on edge. Disruption scrambles assumptions. In these moments, even small phrases can have outsized impacts. As a leader, you’re not just sharing information—you’re shaping the emotional climate of your team. Words can soothe or inflame, clarify or confuse, unite or divide.

At Tenacious Leadership Institute, we often remind clients that language is not just a delivery mechanism for facts — it’s a mirror of your mindset and a signal of your leadership presence. In the pressure cooker of disruption, people listen more closely to your words than ever before. They will replay them, share them, and build their own meaning around them. One moment of careless phrasing can damage months of trust-building, while one moment of courageous, intentional language can inspire people to rise together.

That’s why, as you lead through change, it pays to be deeply intentional about how you frame challenges, opportunities, and next steps. The words you choose can either fuel fear and disengagement, or foster alignment, courage, and possibility.

Here are five reasons to be intentional with your language during change, supported by real client examples and research-backed insights:

Insight #1: Language shapes meaning

When people feel uncertain, they look to leaders to help them interpret what’s happening. 

If you use catastrophic words like crisis or disaster, you can unintentionally amplify fear. Instead, framing challenges as complex, unprecedented, or significant keeps the conversation honest without overwhelming people’s sense of agency.

According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, leaders who frame disruption as an opportunity rather than a catastrophe see up to 29% higher employee engagement scores in times of change.

One of our TLI clients, a retail CEO, initially described store closures as a “disaster that will destroy us.” After seeing morale sink, we helped him reframe it as “a significant market shift that requires bold adjustments.” This pivot helped employees see a role for themselves in shaping the future, instead of feeling helpless.

Insight #2: Language builds or erodes trust

When leaders use vague, evasive, or overly polished words, people suspect there’s something to hide. 

Clear, direct, and respectful language builds credibility and trust—even when the news is hard. Transparency prevents rumors from spreading and anchors the team in reality.

Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer shows that 59% of employees trust their employer more during change if leaders are transparent—even about negative outcomes.

Recently, a technology executive had to announce a major restructuring. His original statement used corporate phrases like “aligning synergies” and “rebalancing priorities,” which confused and worried employees. 

With our guidance, he shifted to plain language: “We are reducing headcount in two divisions. Here’s why, and here’s what support we’re putting in place.” People respected his honesty, and trust remained intact.

Insight #3: Language drives action

People need to know what to do next. Ambiguous language stalls decision-making and execution. During disruption, crystal-clear direction helps build confidence and momentum.

Gallup studies show that clear performance expectations are directly correlated with a 10–20% boost in productivity, even in disrupted environments.

Last month, a senior leader at a branding firm told their team to “be more proactive,” but nothing happened because the request was too abstract. 

Working with TLI, she refined the ask: “Identify two client accounts with potential risk or opportunity and bring recommendations to Friday’s meeting.” That clarity sparked immediate, focused action.

Insight #4: Language can expand or limit possibility

Change moments are powerful invitations to think differently.

Language that is overly constrained—like “there is only one solution”—can close off creative thinking. Instead, expansive language encourages experimentation and learning.

Research by Amy Edmondson at Harvard Business School shows that framing change as an experiment, rather than a fixed directive, boosts psychological safety by up to 35%, increasing idea-sharing.

One of our clients in the energy sector was facing a regulatory overhaul. Leaders were using phrases like “we have no choice,” which made teams feel powerless. We helped them shift to “Let’s explore our best options within the new rules,” which opened up innovative ideas they hadn’t considered.

Insight #5: Language signals your confidence

When leaders hedge too much—using “maybe,” “hopefully,” “possibly”—they can accidentally undermine confidence in their leadership. During disruption, people want to see calm resolve, even if you don’t have all the answers.

An executive told his team, “Hopefully we’ll get through this.” Understandably, employees felt worried. We encouraged him to replace it with “We will move through this together, step by step,” which projected steady confidence without promising certainty.

Neuroscience research on mirror neurons (Iacoboni, 2008) shows that leader confidence is contagious, positively influencing team resilience and reducing stress.

In disruption, your people don’t just need strategy. They need language that helps them make sense of what’s happening, feel included, and take purposeful action. The way you communicate can be the difference between a team that feels frozen in fear and one that steps up with clarity, courage, and collective ownership.

It’s easy to overlook the power of words when stress is high. But language is one of the most cost-effective, high-impact leadership tools you have. Commit to using it with intention, and you’ll see your team respond with trust, energy, and alignment—even when the path ahead is complex.

If you’d like support in strengthening your language for change and disruption, our team at Tenacious Leadership Institute is here to help. Whether through targeted communication coaching, a Disruption Leadership Audit, or a custom leadership workshop, we can equip you and your team to navigate change with confidence and clarity. Book a conversation here to explore what’s possible.

Leadership Practice

This week, take a close look at the words you use with your team. Ask yourself:

• Are my words creating clarity or confusion?

• Are they reinforcing trust or eroding it?

• Are they moving people toward possibility or closing it down?

• Are they projecting confidence or hesitation?

If you’d like, invite a trusted colleague to listen in on a meeting and note your language patterns. Even small, intentional shifts can transform how your team experiences change.

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” -James Humes

Author

Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through her coaching and leadership development programs, she helps leaders expertly handle change, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations.

Take the first step to becoming a tenacious leader by scheduling a call with us.