The Power of Words to Transform Through Metaphors
And I think it’s gonna be a long long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I’m not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone.
—Elton John
As you’ve read through this book, you may have noticed that I’ve used metaphors to describe the various steps and processes in finding, deconstructing, interpreting, reconstructing, testing, and applying metaphors. Metaformation, as I call it, requires active engagement with language. Language can be a spectator’s sport or a sport where one can get involved, get dirty, run fast, jump high, slam the ball, and leap over the net while dancing for victory. Language is a leader’s primary tool, and as with any tool, learning how to use it properly will help you get the most use out of it.
I have always been fascinated with language. The greatest leaders of all time have wielded words with care when the situation was delicate, used them to slice into the hearts of followers to mobilize them for action, and slashed them about with great abandon in the heat of the battle to capture victory from the jaws of defeat. Metaphors have been used since before the time of Christ through the recent political campaigns. Great leaders have not always been the most educated. They were not necessarily the richest people. The language they used wasn’t always their first language. But one thing is for certain; they knew how to use words to move the hearts of every person that heard them speak and saw them lead.
Organizations will always be with us in one form or another. They are the vehicles that bring people together to work for a common cause. Whether it is to make and sell a product, provide a needed service, or lead a nation to victory, leaders who understand the power of words and can string them together in metaphors of unequivocal strength will always have a role to play in history. History will showcase the legacy that they leave.
Their stories will melt into the fabric of humankind and become metaphors themselves. They will be the vehicles from which people will find strength, gain comfort, and build courage. “He is like Samson,” they will say. “His wisdom is that of Solomon” will be their exclamation. “Her courage is like Anne Frank” will be the cry of the disenfranchised. Lest you not give yourself enough credit, remember, you too can be like Samson, with the wisdom of Solomon, and the courage of Anne Frank. It begins with your willingness to serve and then to lead. When you capture the heart of metaphors, it will beat in your veins and pulse in your forehead. Others will recognize that you have mastered the ability to use metaphors to bring transformation to their lives and organizations.
As you spend more time in metaphors, you will become adept at perceiving when to use them, choosing the most powerful in the given moment, and having the courage to speak change into existence. It will arrive on the tip of your tongue like a screaming fighter jet landing on an aircraft carrier. You will know it in the moment you say it, and others will perceive that you have something wonderful to say. You will be speaking life into their minds and then into their hearts.
The world has enough naysayers out there; those who want to be the first to cry out, “Unfair! They don’t deserve it!” Don’t be one of those. Be a leader who can see reality for what it is but is not willing to settle on it remaining that way. Be a leader who can rise above the voices of death and bring health and healing to others through encouraging words that are born out of the struggle of ideas in the midst of times that try men’s souls. There is no rule, no statute, or no proclamation that requires you to bow to the lowly existence of mediocrity. You have the power to help others, and they will in turn help their organizations become beacons of light, piercing the darkness of financial crisis, and the struggle for life and prosperity. The power of words is an amazing thing, and you can master it through the use of metaphors. They will help you in the most difficult times as a leader. Sometimes you will use the metaphor of silence to overcome the opposition. Sometimes it will require the stringing together of several metaphors, each building on another until they burst forth with incredible insight into the problem. Metaphors can break down the walls of misunderstanding and bring clarity to the fight. Metaforming is not a difficult thing. It can become quite natural and flow easily from your lips. Practice it. It is an art as much as it is a science. You will learn to wax eloquent with words, structure, and meaning so that even you will be amazed at the impact you have on those who look to you for leadership.
Leaders like you who have just the right thing to say, at just the right moment, will bless your organizations. Your words will be like a gentle lotion that sooths hearts and minds. Follow the plan, follow the structure, but allow your creativity to flow over. Metaformation is the perfect opportunity to think with the left and right side of your brain simultaneously. You will merge creativity, inspiration, and analytics in the space of a few words. These words will slice through, cut out, and sew up as a surgeon’s scalpel, and your audience will experience the healing they bring. Metaphors have that kind of power if wielded correctly. Use your new power for good and not for evil for you have been entrusted with a very important task, Leadership. Handle it with care. It is the most sacred of callings.