Your Email Style is Killing Your Influence

I tracked 1,000 emails from executives. The patterns are shocking.

block What Leaders Never Do

Avoid These Patterns:

• "Sorry to bother you"
• "Just circling back"
• "When you get a chance"
• "I think maybe we should"
• "Does that make sense?"

check_circle What They Do Instead

Use These Patterns:

• "Moving forward with X unless I hear otherwise"
• "Please confirm receipt by 3pm"
• "Three options below. Recommending #2"
• "Scheduling 15 minutes Thursday to align"
• "Key decision needed - see highlighted"

psychology The Psychology is Brutal

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Apologetic language = junior positioning

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Tentative phrasing = lack of conviction

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Open-ended requests = optional response

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Question marks = permission seeking

bolt The Power Formula

Lead with the ask

Stop burying it in paragraph 3

Give deadlines to everyone

Even your boss needs boundaries

Make decisions, notify others

Stop asking permission for everything

Use "I'll", not "I think"

Confidence is magnetic

Authority isn't granted.
It's taken.
One email at a time.

 Your email style is killing your influence.

Silently:↓

I tracked 1,000 emails from executives.

The patterns are shocking.

What leaders never do:
❌ "Sorry to bother you"
❌ "Just circling back"
❌ "When you get a chance"
❌ "I think maybe we should"
❌ "Does that make sense?"

What they do instead:
✓ "Moving forward with X unless I hear otherwise"
✓ "Please confirm receipt by 3pm"
✓ "Three options below. Recommending #2"
✓ "Scheduling 15 minutes Thursday to align"
✓ "Key decision needed - see highlighted"

The psychology is brutal:
• Apologetic language = junior positioning
• Tentative phrasing = lack of conviction
• Open-ended requests = optional response
• Question marks = permission seeking

The power formula:
Lead with the ask
↳ Stop burying it in paragraph 3

Give deadlines to everyone
↳ Even your boss needs boundaries

Make decisions, notify others
↳ Stop asking permission for everything

Use "I'll", not "I think"
↳ Confidence is magnetic

Watch how fast responses change.

Authority isn't granted.
It's taken.
One email at a time.