Leaders’ words have power. What you say matters. What you don’t say matters. Your team will use your words to create a lens to look at issues through. The absence of words creates a different lens that they will look at issues through. As you move higher up in the organization, the power of your words gets stronger. You may not be able to see it (because it’s just the same old you), but as you promote up the ranks, things change. An off-hand comment made by a CEO takes a different meaning than the same comment made by a team leader. From someone who has heard enough leader BS over the years to choke a goat: Use your words carefully. We are listening.