Email Doesn’t Work

I love the Ted talk that Simon Sinek gave a few years ago about how great leaders inspire action. The premise of the talk is that people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. They follow you because they believe what you believe.

I would add for organizations and ministries, almost as important as sharing the why is how you choose to communicate the why. Email is a perfect medium for communicating the what. You can list all of the facts, numbers and details perfectly in an email, but you cannot convey the heart behind all of those 1’s and 0’s.

Great ideas need pushback. They need emotion. They need understanding that only comes through intense dialogue.

I have my doubts that if Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech had been communicated in a newsletter, that it would have inspired the millions that it has. When you watch the video of the speech, you see the passion, you see the commitment, you see the why.

I would challenge you that the next time you need to convey a new initiative, thought or idea, don’t do it in an email. Actually get up and walk across the office to share it in person. It will not only help communicate the why, but you might also burn a few calories in the process as well. 🙂