The Word That Can Change How You Lead
How one small shift in language can reshape growth, motivation, and the way we invest in the people around us.
I was sitting in a school theater as the head of school told the parents about their philosophy on grading. “Students,” he said, “get one of two grades — passed or not yet.”
I’ll admit that stuck with me. It sounded great for my son, sure. But it also made me wonder how powerful that mindset could be at work. What if, as leaders, we looked at our team through that same lens? What would “not yet” mean inside your organization?
I’ve written plenty about the importance of coaching. I know how hard it is to make time for it when you’re running from meeting to meeting. This isn’t about how to do it. I covered that before, and you can find it through the Backstory & Strategy Pocket Coach. What I want to talk about now is what happens when “yet” becomes part of your coaching vocabulary.
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
A young reporter pitches a story idea in a meeting. The editor shakes her head. “You don’t have the sources for this,” she says. The reporter walks away thinking, “I’m not good at investigative work.”
Now replay it with one small change: “I’m not good at investigative work yet.”
That single word shifts everything. The first version is a verdict. The second is a status update. It’s temporary. It’s fixable. It points forward. It turns a limitation into a trajectory.
The power of “yet” is that it turns failure into a stage in the process instead of the end of it. It doesn’t deny reality — the reporter doesn’t have the sources today — but it refuses to cement that reality as permanent. It assumes capability is built, not born.
This matters in places like newsrooms and nonprofits where the learning curve is steep and the rejections come often. The difference between “I can’t write compelling grant proposals” and “I can’t write compelling grant proposals yet” is the difference between giving up and getting better.
Liz Guthridge, a Forbes Councils Member, put it this way: “As I’ve experimented with this technique, I’ve discovered that it puts individuals at ease and encourages them to acknowledge their true feelings. For example, they may say the assignment is harder than they expected, they’re having trouble completing it due to other competing priorities, they forgot they agreed to do it, etc. Whatever it is, it gives us an opportunity to discuss the assignment, review its purpose, and adjust the task or timeline if necessary while keeping them engaged in their professional learning and development.”
So how do you put this to work? What does “yet” look like when you’re leading a newsroom, running a nonprofit, or building new organizational muscle? Here are ten ways to make it real:
Reframe capability gaps in hiring
Instead of “This candidate doesn’t have investigative experience,” try “This candidate doesn’t have investigative experience yet — but they have the instincts and drive to build it.” It opens the door to training and mentorship instead of just checking credentials.Normalize revenue experiments
“Our membership model isn’t working” becomes “Our membership model isn’t working yet.” That framing shifts the team from defensive to curious. It makes the next question “What needs to change?” instead of “Should we give up?”Coach reporters through skill development
When a reporter struggles with data journalism, say, “You’re not comfortable with spreadsheets yet. Let’s get you there.” It makes the learning curve explicit and expected instead of embarrassing.Depressurize fundraising conversations
“This funder doesn’t see the value” becomes “This funder doesn’t see the value yet.” Now the question becomes: what part of the pitch needs to be clearer? What relationship needs more time?Address diversity and representation gaps
“We don’t have deep sources in this community” becomes “We don’t have deep sources in this community yet.” That mindset forces investment in building trust over time instead of dropping in and hoping for access.Manage digital transformation anxiety
When legacy staff resist new tools, reframe “I don’t understand TikTok” as “I don’t understand TikTok yet.” It gives permission to learn without shame and lowers the wall between generations.Build a culture of experimentation
Launch new formats, newsletters, or events with the language: “We don’t know if this works yet. Let’s find out.” That framing takes the fear out of failure and keeps the focus on discovery.Handle audience feedback constructively
“Our audience doesn’t trust us” becomes “Our audience doesn’t trust us yet.” That shift moves the conversation from blame to strategy — what actions will rebuild credibility?Reframe mission drift concerns
“We’re not reaching younger audiences” becomes “We’re not reaching younger audiences yet.” That turns an existential worry into a problem that can be solved.Set realistic expectations for impact
“This investigation hasn’t changed anything” becomes “This investigation hasn’t changed anything yet.” It acknowledges that accountability journalism works on a longer timeline than a single news cycle.
Now, I know some of you are thinking this sounds too soft or too kumbaya. It isn’t.
This isn’t about handing out participation trophies or pretending failure doesn’t exist. It’s about how you allocate resources. When you label someone “not capable,” you’ve decided to stop investing in them. When you say “not capable yet,” you’re making a different calculation. You’re asking, “What would it take to get them there? And is that investment worth it?”
That’s not feel-good language. That’s management.
The alternative — believing talent is fixed — creates two expensive problems. You end up cycling through people constantly, which costs money and morale. And you spend months searching for unicorns who already have every skill you need, which in journalism and nonprofit work usually means you’re waiting forever.
“Yet” is pragmatic. It recognizes that people rarely arrive fully formed. They arrive with potential, with gaps, and with the capacity to learn. Your job is to decide which gaps are worth closing and then build the conditions for that growth. If you’re not willing to do that, fine. But be honest with yourself about the trade-off: you’re choosing high turnover and a narrow talent pool.
The research backs this up. Carol Dweck’s work on growth mindset shows that organizations that treat ability as something that can develop see better performance, higher retention, and more innovation. But you don’t need a Stanford study to know that’s true. You’ve seen it yourself. The reporter who couldn’t write a lede five years ago and now runs investigations. The development director who knew nothing about major gifts and now closes six-figure donations. They didn’t show up that way. Someone believed they would get there — yet.
Try adding “yet” to a conversation this week. See how it changes the energy. And if it does, tell me about it — I’d love to hear what happened when you did.
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