For his book Fire Them Up!, strategic communications expert Carmine Gallo, a former business correspondent with CNN, interviewed more than two dozen CEOs, entrepreneurs, and educators. Gallo discovered that inspiring communicators share certain attributes that any manager can adopt to become what he calls a “Chief Inspiration Officer.” He offers these six secrets to inspire your team as part of developing a strategic communication plan:

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1. Ignite your enthusiasm. Richard Tait sketched an idea on the back of an airplane napkin, a concept for a board game in which every player could excel in one category or another. He turned the idea into Cranium, which became one of the fastest-selling board games of all time. Tait’s passion convinced employees, partners, and investors to back his vision. Dig deep to identify your true passion, and share that passion with your team at every opportunity.
2. Navigate the way. Inspiring leaders navigate a course of action by creating a specific, memorable, and consistent vision. A vision is a concise description of a better world made possible by your product or service. Throw out tired mission statements. Make vision a focus instead.
3. Sell the benefit. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Your employees or customers are asking themselves, “Why should I care?” Every decision, action, or initiative you communicate must contain the answer to that question. Nobody cares about your product, as viral marketing strategist David Meerman Scott points out. They care about themselves. Grab your listeners’ attention by showing them how following your vision will improve their lives, not yours.
4. Paint a picture. Inspiring leaders tell stories to paint verbal pictures. In his research for Fire Them Up!, Gallo had the opportunity to attend staff meetings at the Ritz-Carlton, where storytelling plays an important role in improving morale. In each meeting, managers share “wow” stories, true accounts of employees who go above and beyond their job description to create memorable stays for their guests. These stories give employees local fame and recognition among their peers.
5. Invite participation. Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., transformed itself from one of the worst hospitals in the nation to topping Fortune’s Best Places to Work list eight years in a row. What Gallo learned is that Griffin offers a culture dedicated to open and honest communication. In turbulent economic times, mediocre leaders take on a bunker mentality. Inspiring leaders communicate more than ever.
6. Reinforce optimism. Inspiring leaders are more optimistic than average leaders. When Warren Buffett released the 2009 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway investors, he briefly outlined the events that led to the global financial crisis and reminded his readers that “America’s best days lie ahead.” Buffett based his forecast on his deep knowledge of financial history, saying America has survived “far greater travails.” Be a beacon of hope in a sea of despair.

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