How to Use E-mail as a Leadership Tool

Discover the glam framework, focus on the top four grammar gotchas in business writing, and use memory devices to improve email clarity and leadership impact.

Learn how comma usage, especially the Oxford comma, improves readability, prevents misinterpretation in lists, and clarifies business contracts to avoid costly delays.

Master hyphenation rules to join words into a single adjective before a noun, with examples like double-booked and wildfire-affected, and learn exceptions for very and ly and proper e-mail hyphenation.

Learn to choose indefinite articles based on the phonetic sound of the following word, not the first letter, with practical examples for correct usage in professional communication.

Master the over/under ten rule for numbers in business emails, with key exceptions for decimals, percentages, dollar amounts, dates, ages, and ratios to ensure clear, consistent communication.

Learn to craft shorter emails that get read by measuring length and complexity with a practical formula, then tighten writing through hands-on practice and score comparisons to improve communication.

Choose your own emails as writing samples and set a length baseline. Score your writing using syllable-based rules, then apply the e-mail efficiency calculator to track improvement.

Discover the 'Lose it, or use it!' principle to make business writing shorter and clearer by eliminating filler words like 'that' and using it only to indicate which one.

Learn to shorten writing by dropping the word that when it's not needed, and use it as a cue to rephrase for clearer, more concise leadership communications.

Learn to use prepositions and prepositional phrases as cues to improve email writing, applying the 'lose it, or use it' rule with spatial and temporal relationships.

Use simpler words to appear smarter, as Princeton researcher Dr. Daniel Oppenheimer shows, readers rate simpler language as easier to understand and more intelligent.

Apply the length guidelines from our framework to shorten emails and boost clarity in leadership communication, using real-world examples of dropping prepositions and simplifying phrasing.

Learn to use e-mail as a leadership tool by crafting clear, actionable requests that specify who should do what and avoid ambiguity.

Learn how to use the to, cc, and bcc fields effectively to indicate direct recipients, awareness-only readers, and privacy-protecting senders, while avoiding reply-to-all pitfalls.

Learn to craft email action requests by four criteria: clear, concise, familiar topic, right person, and job-appropriate—then include who, what, and when.

Learn to embed meaning in email as a leadership tool by sharing why or how, so emails connect what we do with why it matters across time zones.

Balance professional meaning in email while nurturing personal meaning in person, recognizing two brands—professional and personal—and avoiding mingling messages.

Leaders learn proven practices to take control of email, addressing anxiety, guilt, and overwhelm. The chapter on creating capacity offers practical tips to unbury teams and improve email management.

Discover time blocking, notifications, and boundaries to create capacity for e-mail, boost focus, balance, and presence, and improve flow when returning from time away.

Apply the GLAM framework to eliminate email pet peeves, build capacity to manage your inbox, and design a personalized GLAM plan using the Framework Focus and My GLAM Plan worksheets.