“The ratio of We’s to I’s is the best indicator of the development of a team.” – Lewis B. Ergen
The smallest words can have a huge impact on a team, both directly and indirectly. This includes using “we” as a replacement to the term “I” in your daily vocabulary. Harvard Business Journal published a great article about the power of “we”. It cites research from Journal of Language and Social Psychology and finds:
- When people feel insecure, self-aware, or diminished, they are more likely to focus their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors inward.
- By contrast, the researchers theorized that individuals using first-person plural and second-person (such as “we,” “us,” or “you”) ought to demonstrate an outward focus, considering the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others.
- Individuals with lower status overwhelmingly tended to use first-person singular pronouns (“I”).
- Likewise, higher status individuals used significantly more first-person plural (“we”) pronouns.
- While switching from singular “I” to the plural “we” it might help shift your perspective from self-focused to others-focused, make you more aware of the needs of others and, as you work to meet those needs, might just make you a better leader.
It’s hard to get used to doing because it sounds a little strange but has a lot of collective benefits:
- Communicates that you understand that you’re a part of team
- Gives credit to the broader team
- Reinforces that you are not more important than the team
- Shows that you are secure with your role in the team
For all leaders, I recommend the use of we in your daily vinocular. This is especially true for account team leads as you are tasked to be the voice of the collective team, both internally and with clients. Below are a few examples of singular-focused uses and suggestions for you to use moving forward:
- “my client” vs. “our client”
- “my POV” vs. “our POV”
- “my account” vs. “our account”
- “I did” vs. “we did”
- “I need” vs. “we need”
- “if you have questions, let me know” vs. “if you have questions, let us know”
- “my opinion” vs. “our opinion”
Side note: you can never have enough good quotes in advertising, especially as you build presentations. Below are a few other teamwork quotes that I like:
- “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs
- “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
- “A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skills of others.” – Norman Shidle
- “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.” – Reid Hoffman
- “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry Truman
For more leadership advice or formal training for your team, feel free to reach out to: brianphelpsconsulting.com.
Brian Phelps 