Quoting John Cutler: Fluffy Concepts

There's one bit of this excellent piece by John Cutler that really caught my attention, and I've added it to my bag of leadership tricks (emphasis mine):

Could you help me understand this for a second? Say <insert the thing that's being discussed here>; what would I see more or less of?

Love how such a simple sentence can help turn a vague, fluffy concept into something more concrete that can be used as a basis for an effective conversation. Later on John Cutler explains:

Describing actual behaviors can be extremely powerful. It cuts through the context collapse that tends to accompany vague concepts.

I found this very effective when trying to push for change such the one outlined in A Practical, Step-by-Step Guide to Wiring a Winning Organization from the Middle, and in particular this bit on page 131 (emphasis mine):

Finally, incorporate into the message proof that these concepts actually work to be prepared to meet those who will oppose you. When leading from the middle, there will be people, some of whose support you depend on, who choose not to listen to you, or support you, for whatever reason.