Stanford researchers gave two groups the same crime statistics. One group heard crime described as a beast, the other as a virus. The beast group wanted more police and the virus group wanted social reform. Almost nobody noticed that a single word had driven their view.

In this episode, Soren Kaplan connects that research to a failed snack called McCrackin that became a culture-killing nickname at a Fortune 500 company, and to Satya Nadella's decision to replace Microsoft's know-it-all culture with a learn-it-all culture by changing the language leaders used.

Leaders will walk away with three moves: review the default labels your team already uses, name the mindset you want to build, and make sure the experience behind your words is real.

Further reading: Stanford metaphor study, https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/803162

View original on Inc. Magazine: https://www.inc.com/soren-kaplan/satya-nadella-transformed-microsofts-culture-by-changing-2-words-leaders-used/91408690

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Learn more about Soren's work at sorenkaplan.com.