Who put the Mess into the Message

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, listened to a presentation, or read a company-wide update and thought:

“Wait… what are we actually saying here?”

You’re not being difficult. You’re being honest.

Here’s the truth:

You don’t have a messaging problem. You have a clarity problem.

Most leaders aren’t poor communicators.
They’re moving fast, managing complexity, and trying to deliver value in too little time.

The issue isn’t intelligence. It’s overload.
And it leaks into the language.

When pressure is high and time is short, messages get packed, padded, or buried. And the result isn’t authority. It’s static.

What’s Going Wrong

Let’s unpack the most common communication breakdowns I see—even in the most brilliant leaders:

1. Overloading to Overcompensate

You want to be thorough. Show your range. Add value.
So you say everything.

“Our Q2 focus includes international expansion, hiring strategy, rebranding, CRM migration, ESG reporting, and launching two new verticals.”

Technically accurate. Strategically overwhelming.

Saying everything says nothing.
If your message is a flood, no one stays afloat.

2. Masking Uncertainty Instead of Leading with Clarity

The problem isn’t uncertainty.
It’s feeling like you’re not allowed to be uncertain—especially when you’re expected to know.

So instead of stating what’s true now, you try to cover all bases.
You over-qualify. Add disclaimers. Loop in variables.
All in the hope of sounding credible.

“We’re optimistic about this direction, but staying flexible depending on evolving input across teams and external factors…”

Translation: We’re saying everything so we can’t be wrong.

Saying too much doesn’t build confidence. It blurs your message.

Leadership isn’t about knowing everything.
It’s about being clear on what’s true right now—and trusting yourself to evolve it.

3. Confusing Sounding Smart with Being Clear

Whether it’s high-polish phrasing or full-blown Acronymolese, the result is the same: people nod… but don’t engage.

“Let’s align the QBR insights with our GTM strategy before we finalise the IC deck.”

Fluent? Maybe.

But if your message needs a glossary, it’s not leadership—it’s a memory test.

And remember:

If you’re trying to impress, you’re not expressing.
Clarity doesn’t dilute intelligence. It delivers it.

4. Speed Over Substance

You’re under pressure. You dash off a message or speak on autopilot:

“Circling back to ensure alignment and maintain momentum…”

It sounds businesslike. But it says very little.

Speed doesn’t create clarity. Thinking does.
And the five minutes you don’t take to clarify your message will cost your team five hours trying to figure it out.

5. Performing Value Instead of Communicating It

This one’s subtle—and everywhere.

When you’re under pressure to prove your worth, you say more. You add context. You layer logic.
But the more you do that, the more your actual value gets lost.

The harder you try to sound valuable, the more you obscure your value.
You’re not here to create value with more words. Your words are here to carry your value.
And one clean, meaningful sentence makes you unforgettable.

What Actually Works (and Where I Come In)

Let’s make something clear: unclear messaging isn’t fixed by polishing your delivery or rearranging your slides.

Messaging is the foundation. Expression is the art.
You can’t paint a masterpiece on a soggy napkin.
And you can’t win the room with a great suit and a scrambled sentence.

Message + delivery = influence.
One without the other? Still noise.

This is where I do my best work.

I help leaders:

• Cut through the fog and distil what they actually mean

• Say it in language that’s speakable, sharp, and lands fast

• Deliver it with presence, voice, and conviction—in the boardroom, on stage, or at your next TEDx

We don’t just rehearse a script.
We build a communicator who leads with every word.

A recent client went from a rushed 14-slide update to a 7-minute pitch that landed three strategic partnerships.
Not because we added polish—but because we cut the noise and made every word count.

This is what we’re aiming for:
A message that’s clear in five seconds, memorable in five hours, and worth acting on.

Most people haven’t been shown how to get there—how to go from “I know what I mean” to “Everyone else gets it too.”
That’s where I come in.

What’s This Actually Costing You?

Let’s talk numbers:

• Poor communication costs large companies an average of $62.4 million per year.¹

• Globally, $8.8 trillion is lost annually to disengagement.²

• Confused teams don’t execute. Disengaged clients don’t buy.
  The cost of unclear messaging shows up in productivity, trust, retention, and missed opportunities.

This isn’t a “nice to have.”
It’s a hidden drag on your entire business.

Final Word: Say Less. Mean More.

In a world that’s louder than ever, clarity is magnetic.
The most powerful message isn’t the longest.
It’s the one they remember.

So ask yourself:

• Is this actually clear?

• Am I trying to impress, or trying to lead?

• Will they act on this—or just nod and forget?

Because if it doesn’t land, it doesn’t lead.
And if people don’t follow your message, they won’t follow your vision.

If this article made something click, trust that.
This work isn’t something leaders do eventually—it’s something they wish they’d done sooner.
When you’re ready to be heard the way you think, speak the way you lead, and make your message carry the weight it deserves—
I’m here.