When I was teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, a colleague of mine sighed loudly as she was grading papers.
“Problem?” I inquired.
“Well,” she prefaced dryly, “this student seems to know an awful lot of S.A.T. words… unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to know what any of them mean.”
I laughed. It reminded me of an assignment from my 8th grade social studies teacher, Mr. Schmeisser. In writing our reports for the unit, he encouraged us to use a thesaurus and incorporate as many “hundred-dollar words” as we could to get full points.
That sounded great to me – it was an opportunity I could definitely max out.
To this day I remember including words like “cumbersome” and “odious” in my prose… although if I’m being honest, I have to admit that at the time I had no idea what the specific connotations of either one meant. I just knew that they were listed as synonyms for “terrible.”
And while that was an effective way to stretch the vocabulary of a middle schooler prepping for standardized tests, it turns out the exact opposite approach is what’s needed for effective executive communication.
In leadership, using jargon or overly complex language often becomes a crutch. Sometimes it’s a subconscious reflex — we assume our audience shares our technical expertise or speaks our “lingo.” Other times, it’s a defense mechanism, deployed to mask insecurity: If I sound smart enough, no one will question me.
But here's the problem: jargon doesn’t build trust — clarity does.
And in today’s fast-paced, attention-deficit world, the last thing your team, board, clients, or investors want is to sit through a jargon-laced monologue trying to guess what you’re actually trying to say.
If we’re lucky, we catch ourselves in time — maybe when we notice their eyes glazing over, or they ask us a question we know we just answered a moment earlier. That’s our cue to step back and reframe the message in plain language — language that resonates, not just impresses.
Because the goal of professional communication isn’t to prove how much we know — it’s to ensure the audience understands what they need to know, and what we need them to know, so they can act on it.
Ironically, the more we focus on trying to sound smart, the less effective we usually are. And when leadership presence is on the line — whether you’re delivering a high-stakes pitch, giving feedback to your team, or answering a “tell me about a time when…” question during a job interview — complexity and excessive jargon become the enemy of connection.
That’s exactly what we work on in my executive coaching and team training programs, like Breaking the Expert’s Curse. These sessions help subject matter experts, technical leaders, and high performers translate their brilliance into language that actually lands.
We focus on two critical areas:
- Message clarity – so your content is relevant, compelling, and actionable
- Delivery mastery – so your voice, body language, and presence support your message and build trust
And if you’re preparing for your next big step — a new role, career pivot, or promotion — this is also a cornerstone of what we cover in my Quantum Leap coaching program.
Because if you can’t clearly articulate the value you bring, how will anyone else know it’s time to bring you to the next level?
If this resonates with you — or if your team could benefit from more powerful, clear, and engaging communication — I’d love to talk. Drop me a line here, and let’s start the conversation.
Here’s the bottom line:
Clarity is the currency of influence.
If your message doesn’t land — because it’s too long, too dense, too insider-y — it won’t lead to the results you want. It won’t change minds, mobilize teams, or earn you that promotion.
While it's true that in 8th grade I got rewarded for stuffing my essays with big words I barely understood, today’s leaders don’t get gold stars for sounding complicated.
They earn trust and gain influence by being understood, by connecting, and by delivering maximum value in minimal words.
In leadership, you don’t need hundred-dollar words. You need ten-cent clarity that yields million-dollar results.
