The Blind Spot in Leadership
We worked with 23 emerging leaders inside a billion-dollar organisation this week.
All clever cookies. The best of the best.
But here’s what continues to surprise us: across every industry, every room, leaders rarely have a go-to, replicable structure for pitching their thinking.
It’s a blind spot hiding in plain sight.
And when you close it—when you frame your thinking as a shift from “here” to “next”—clarity takes flight.
Leadership Cue: Can I express my thinking as a From → To shift in one sentence?
(Our FROTO resource can help.)
Clarity Creates Authority
Confidence can make you sound strong.
But clarity is what sticks.
It builds authority. It’s easier for people to trust you when you make the hard stuff easy to understand.
- Without clarity: decisions drag, trust erodes, ideas lose momentum.
- With clarity: belief takes root, and people follow because the next step feels obvious.
Leadership Cue: Would my audience be able to explain this idea without me in the room?
Case in Point: Microsoft’s Reframe
When Satya Nadella took over Microsoft, the company was bureaucratic, defensive, and losing relevance.
His new mission:
“To empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.”
It wasn’t bluff and bravado. It was a clear promise of transformation. Giving employees, partners, and customers a unifying north star.
That clarity rebuilt Microsoft’s authority in the market.
Leadership Cue: Is my pitch framed as a promise of transformation others can see themselves in?
Why Clarity Outranks Confidence
Confidence gets attention. Clarity earns belief.
Belief creates momentum. And momentum moves organisations.
When people believe, they are happy to use your words. Words that give your leadership wings.
- A new manager saying: “Our goal is simple: fewer meetings, faster decisions.”
- A project lead telling their team: “This quarter is about one thing—shipping on time.”
- A community organiser rallying volunteers: “Everyone belongs. Everyone contributes.”
Leadership Cue: Can my audience repeat this in a single line that spreads without me?
The Missionary Mindset
Missionary leaders don’t pitch at people. They pitch for their audience—doing the heavy lifting so belief spreads easily.
- They make the upside obvious.
- They make the risk manageable.
- They make action feel safe, not scary.
TL;DR — Clarity Is the Currency
- Confidence gets attention. Clarity earns belief.
- Without clarity, ideas stall. With it, they spread.
- Authority is earned when others trust you to make hard things clear.
- Leadership isn’t inherited. It’s pitched.
Happy Pitching (and leading),
Pete & Rosie—The Pitch Camp Team