I’ve been speaking recently on the topic of communication skills to advance a person’s career. In my presentations I talk about Indra Nooyi’s “5 C’s” model of leadership. She presented it publicly several years ago, but it’s more relevant today than ever. When I speak about the model, it resonates with new grads and career professionals looking to step up into leadership roles.
1. Competency. Nooyi says that young professionals should become known for a particular skill. Be the go-to person and an expert in the area in which you choose to focus. It’s how you’ll stand out from the pack. It also requires being a life-long student of the subject matter, according to Nooyi.
In my own career, I chose to focus on my passion—communication skills and all that the subject encompasses (persuasion, storytelling, presentations, public speaking). You don’t have to look for a passion; passion will find you. In college, I would get goosebumps while watching or reading great speeches. Although I tried on different hats in my early career, they didn’t fit because communication was the one hat that felt natural. It was my passion. I may have left it at times, but it never left me. Sometimes, we deny our passion instead of embracing it and letting it lead us.
2. Courage and Confidence. According to Nooyi, you can be competent in your role, but you need to build up the courage to speak up. This advice reminds me of what Wharton professor Adam Grant wrote in his bestselling book, Originals. An original, writes Grant, is a person who “champions a set of novel ideas that go against the grain but ultimately make things better.” Here’s the key. Those ideas are meaningless unless an original can advocate for those ideas. “If we want people to accept our original ideas, we need to speak up, then rinse and repeat,” writes Grant.
3. Communication skills. “You cannot over invest in communication skills—written and oral,” says Indra Nooyi. As a communication advisor, I agree. Young professionals who stand out from their peers are often the ones who practice presentations and who work on improving their public-speaking skills. Nooyi tells the story of failing her first public-speaking course at the Yale business school. She took it again and passed. The course, she says, made a huge difference in her career.
4. Consistency. You can change your mind, but always do so against a consistent framework, says Nooyi. I’ve seen how a lack of consistency can damage a person’s professional reputation. I’ve also watched as leaders say one thing in public, but act very differently with employees and teams. The result is a team that becomes demoralized. Consistency matters.
Often, it’s the small actions that count the most. I write about leaders who deliver inspiring speeches and presentations, but when I hear from employees of the companies they lead, they usually tell me stories that have nothing to do with a leader’s speech. They tell me they’re inspired because the CEO cared enough to send a hand-written letter to an employee who had lost a family member. They’re inspired because their boss celebrated their achievement with the rest of the team. They’re inspired because the company’s founder walks the talk. The people around you are watching for consistency in your words and actions.
5. Compass. Without character, none of the other four steps will matter, according to Nooyi. Integrity is everything. This reminds me of Aristotle’s persuasion formula. The Greek philosopher said persuasion cannot occur in the absence of three things—logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is logic—making a rational appeal. Pathos is emotion—making an argument that resonates with people on an emotional level. But Ethos is critically important—Ethos is character. If your audience doesn’t trust you because you have shown a lack of character, they are less likely to follow you and embrace your ideas.
Compass is one reason why I encourage new grads, leaders or aspiring leaders to share their backstory of struggle, hardship and overcoming the odds. Your credentials or degrees might open the door to a career opportunity, but they don’t establish ‘trust.’ People are naturally skeptical. When a person lowers their guard and shares the mistakes or failures they’ve had—and what they learned from the experience—it breaks down walls and establishes stronger a connection between the speaker and the listener.
Inspiration doesn’t just happen. To be an inspiring leader, you have to work at it. Follow a formula. Nooyi’s model stands the test of time.