Have you ever heard someone say, “Just watch me whip this crowd into a frenzy by reading my mission statement.”

Think about the last time you read a mission statement. *bleh* It was probably jam-packed with a bunch of buzzwords, like excellence and integrity and leadership.

Of course, those are great qualities, but those exact three words were also included in the mission statement for Enron.

If that name sounds familiar, then you recognize that Enron was the largest corporate bankruptcy in the history of the U.S.

Simply saying we value excellence, leadership, and integrity doesn’t mean the message connects with our audience on a visceral level.

That’s just one example of why the world needs more manifestos and fewer mission statements.

A manifesto is a short, powerful way for you as a thought leader to draw a line in the sand. What is worth living and breathing and dying for in your eyes and what are you calling your audience to join you to do together?

Today, I want you to consider writing your Manifesto. What would you want it to say? What emotions do you want it to evoke? What’s the line in the sand that you want to draw because you know it’s so important?

We’ll dig in more tomorrow about how to create your new Manifesto, but for now, have a great day.

The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing is presented by Jon Cook, founder of Keynote Content. Jon and his team help thought leaders, namely speakers, coaches, and consultants, craft and share their messages to better serve their audiences. Connect with Jon and his team at Keynote Content by visiting keynotecontent.com. You can subscribe to The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing by visiting bit.ly/KeynoteClarity and enabling it there. Then, all you have to say is, “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?”