Leaders Stop speaking with the royal 'you'

Leaders Stop speaking with the royal 'you' Leaders Stop speaking with the royal 'you' How many times in an interview - particularly with athletes - have you heard a line like:“Yes, today was a big win. You try so hard all season and you give it your best on the field and you just have to appreciate what it takes to compete at this level.”Hmm, I have a question. Who is “you” in this case? Who is the athlete talking about?During interviews, why do we often speak in the second person? Obviously, the athlete refers to himself or herself when saying, “You try so hard all season.” So why the royal “you”?Here’s my assessment. When we are asked to talk about ourselves, we feel funny using “I” because it feels like bragging or speaking out of turn.“I try so hard all season and I give it my best on the field.”Instead, we insert a “you” to deflect attention or praise.But the “you” is a passive way to discuss the efforts of you and your team.As a leader in your organization, you may find yourself doing interviews with media or speaking to team members/clients.