When working with British leaders, expect direction to come wrapped in soft language. “Could you take a look at this?” means do it. “I wonder if we might consider” means I want this to happen. “It might be worth thinking about the timeline” means the timeline is a problem.
This is not indecisiveness — it is how British authority works. The leader who issues blunt commands when the situation does not demand them is seen as either insecure or unskilled. Real authority does not need to announce itself. British leaders trust that competent people can read the intent beneath the form, and they frame instructions as suggestions because it respects the intelligence of those being led.
If you work under a British leader, learn to read the real meaning behind the measured language. If you lead British people, know that softening your delivery does not weaken your authority — it strengthens it.
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