Sick and tired

Erikjan Lantink
5 min readAug 30, 2024
Credit: Cookelma

One of the most visionary, inspiring, and trusting leaders I worked for once shared this perspective with me:

“Erik, when you get sick and tired of hearing yourself conveying the same message repeatedly, and you’re about to throw up, that’s the moment people in your organization will start to ‘hear’ what you’re trying to say.”

His message:

Remember, repetition is not a sign of failure but a powerful tool for effective communication. Repeat, repeat, repeat, and then repeat once more.

And then once more.

This Insight is the last on trust before we explore the other critical feature of high-performing teams: alignment.

Communication is the glue that connects trust and alignment. Mastering this tool can shape the narrative and foster a culture of understanding, connection, trust, and alignment.

Most leaders, really most leaders, underestimate the importance of frequent, consistent, and inspiring communication.

He didn’t just emphasize the quantity of communication but also its impact. He knew how to paint a compelling vision to ignite excitement about the direction.

For him, communication was not just a task but a priority. He understood that keeping his people included and informed was the most critical aspect of his…

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Erikjan Lantink

Business & Leadership coach. Interim Leader. Writer. Speaker. Former Retail Executive (general management; operations; HR)