Why Leaders Should Master the Skill of Emailing in 3 Moves
A good chess player can think seven moves ahead. But ask any grandmaster and they’ll tell you: after the third move, the board always changes. New possibilities open, opponents react in unexpected ways, and the plan you had in your head gets reshaped by reality.
Good communicators work the same way.
Too often, especially over email, leaders try to play out the whole game at once. The longer the message, the more likely the core point is buried.
The intention is good — to be thorough or to get everything “on record.” But when timely action or behaviour change is what matters, readers miss key points or leave more confused than before.
Clear communication is one of the most important leadership skills to master. The leaders who create awareness of how they communicate — and who act on that awareness — build trust and alignment.
Instead of seven moves, focus on three: what we know now, what matters most, and what needs to happen next.
Developing as a Leader in Today’s World
In face-to-face conversations, we can rely on tone, body language, and quick feedback. If someone looks puzzled, we adjust. If the point isn’t landing, we try again.
Email strips all of that away. What’s left are words on a screen, interpreted by a reader juggling distractions, assumptions, and their own inner dialogue.
That’s why over-explaining is risky. The more you try to cover seven moves ahead, the greater the chance your meaning is lost.
The Power of Three
For those developing their leadership & management skills, when you write your next email – especially one giving direction or updating your team – try boiling it down to three things:
- What we know right now: Keep it factual.
- What the immediate next step is: One action beats a dozen hypotheticals.
- When we’ll regroup: Give people a marker for when the picture will be clearer.
This keeps communication effective and helps people focus on what they can do, not on what might happen.
Practiced Skills of a Leader
This isn’t just an executive skill. Management face the same tension daily. Squeezed between delivering for their teams and responding to senior leaders. The temptation to write “everything I know” into one email is high.
But your people don’t need every thought; they need clear direction. This is where communication skills for management are a large part of what constitutes good leadership.
Executives face the same trap, only on a bigger stage. One confusing update at the top can ripple into wasted effort across hundreds of people. The discipline of three moves keeps alignment tight across layers of an organisation.
Adding a Human Touch
Sometimes, though, clarity isn’t enough – tone matters too.
A growing number of leaders are using tools like Vocal, an Outlook plug-in that lets you embed a short voice note directly in your email. Think of it as adding the missing “human layer” that email often strips away.
Instead of a wall of text, you can write the essentials in three moves, and then add a 20-second voice note that says:
“If you have any questions, give me a shout any time. I really appreciate the effort going into this project.”
It’s quick, human, and — for many in Ireland at least — still new. Those who adopt it early stand out.
How to Practice It
- Before hitting send, ask: “Would this make sense if I had to explain it in a hallway?”
- Check for action: Is the next step obvious?
- Use fewer words: Short sentences land better, especially on mobile.
- Add human touch where needed: Consider a short voice note via Vocal to carry tone and appreciation.
Closing Thought
Leaders often think their job is to lay out the entire path. But the truth is, no one can see seven moves ahead with certainty. Not even in chess.
Your role is to give clarity on the next steps, the confidence to move forward, and — when the board changes, as it always will — the reassurance you’ll adjust together.
So, next time you draft an email, try this: three moves, not seven.
And where the moment calls for more humanity? Add your voice.
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