Amanda NorthcuttFounder & CEO | Keynote Speaker, LevelUp · B2B sales as a solo is HARD. I’ve got you. I help consultants & coaches sell high-ticket services comfortably & confidently, while enjoying consistent, predictable revenue | Founder & CEO | Speaker |

The Most Underrated Leadership Skill? Versatility.

13 Jun 2025 · 1 min

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In this segment, the speaker emphasizes that a critical yet often overlooked leadership skill is the ability to adapt one’s message to different audiences—a capability she calls versatility. Drawing on concepts from the book The Facilitation Advantage, she explains that effective communication requires shifting perspective to address what a change means for each stakeholder, whether it’s staff, board members, or customers. By tailoring the message to answer the audience’s personal concerns (e.g., “What does this mean for me?”), leaders become more attractive to employees and clients alike. The speaker argues that the more versatile a leader is in modifying behavior and communication style, the greater the trust and engagement they generate.

Chapters

I think my third would be how well you're able to adapt your message to your audience. So I think it's this, you know, and this is, we talk about this in The Facilitation Advantage, this idea you have to be really able and willing to shift how you communicate to your audience. So whether that's announcing a change to your whole staff, you're gonna have to be thinking about, if I step in their shoes, they're going to want to know, what does this mean for me? Not just what does it mean to my customers? What does it mean to the bottom line? What does it mean to me? And so then if you're with the board of directors, you're going to have to shift dramatically to how you communicate to that audience. And the more you have this versatility, this flexibility, the more people want to work for you, the more customers want to hire you. And so that would be my third one. It's versatility. It's how you're able to shift your behaviors to those around you.