Want to develop your CXO mindset? Listen very carefully to Mona. Hmmm.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem possible that she can put syllables together let alone help a business leader with executive thinking. But she DOES talk, and quite loudly. And executives the world over can take a lesson from her playbook.

Say the words, “Mona Lisa” to almost anyone, and in a nanosecond, they get a mental picture of the enigmatic lady with the quirky smile. The mention of her name forces us to see her picture in our mind. Smart Mona! (and word on the street says she does not even have an MBA!).

Nothing is more powerful than an arresting image, especially coming from business leaders communicating to their teams. Using powerful verbal pictures can increase your clout as a communicator and make your ideas memorable. Learning to think in terms of imagery should be in every leader's communication handbook.

So how does a business leader use verbal images or pictures? By creating relevant analogies or metaphors (comparisons between two things). A rare economic occurrence could be compared to “a hundred year flood” or the ups and downs of the stock market to a “rough mountain bike ride.” Think Martin Luther King’s, “I Have a Dream.”

The metaphors can not only be verbal pictures but a call to action, as in Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point. Or William Cohan's, House of Cards.

Analogies can be educational tools that help us understand complex topics or come to grips with difficult issues. Randy Pausch got a nation to understand how to prepare for tragedy in his famous, The Last Lecture.

But analogies and metaphors can also have a touch of whimsy and make us smile.

A recent post on Copyblogger by James Chartrand used a great verbal image: Forget The Tao of Pooh. How about the Blog of Pooh? James' tips on blogging via a Winnie the Pooh analogy are memorable and a great example of verbal pictures (can't you just see the Pooh toiling over a keyboard writing pithy poohisms?).

Just make sure your verbal pictures are fresh. Gyrations in the stock market described as a “roller coaster ride” is too hackneyed a phrase to be relevant. The key is to be original. Rule number two: don’t over-use analogies. A strategically placed verbal picture can be powerful. Too many and you can come off as a comedy king. Don't abuse the power!

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