21-05-2025
How Leaders Can Reframe Negative Language To Build Stronger Teams
Reframing language isn't about ignoring challenges. It's about choosing words that empower teams.
When Naseem Rochette was hit by a car walking through a pedestrian crosswalk and run over three times, the question wasn't how she'd recover. The doctors questioned whether she'd survive at all.
Out of that unimaginable moment came a powerful shift. Rather than labeling the event as a trauma alone, she's calling it her 'Unbreakable Day.' Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which is repairing broken pottery with gold, Rochette embraced her physical and emotional scars as essential parts of her story.
'This mental shift initiated my reframing,' she explains. 'I learned that I control my narrative and am much stronger than I thought.'
Now a sales leader at Databricks and author of The Unexpected Benefits of Being Run Over, Rochette transformed her trauma into a leadership philosophy. At its core? The radical power of reframing. The language we use is just the beginning.
Words shape our reality. In leadership, the way challenges are framed inspires action or instills fear. Rochette learned firsthand that reframing language isn't about sugarcoating difficulty; it's about choosing words that unlock clarity. By positioning setbacks as part of a broader path to growth, leaders empower their teams to see beyond the immediate challenge.
This conscious use of empowering language helps teams stay grounded during uncertainty.
Early in her recovery, she clung to an outdated internal script: 'Accepting help was a weakness.' She was a strong leader who was the one offering help. How could she now be the one asking for it?
But as her reality changed, so did her words. By sharing her vulnerability with her team, she turned what might have felt like a professional liability into a trust-building superpower.
'People felt comfortable sharing their own difficulties and celebrating each other's milestones,' she says. The result? Less burnout.
Successful leaders are highly intentional with language. Rochette calls this 'positive bias'—a conscious choice to use words and body language that generate momentum rather than resistance. It's about fueling forward motion, especially when challenges feel insurmountable.
'This doesn't mean pretending everything is easy,' she clarifies. 'It means we consciously use empowering language to cultivate resilience, foster hope and guide teams through uncertainty.' That includes rejecting narratives of victimhood.
Here's the difference between positive phrases versus negative ones:
After being run over three times, Naseem Rochette didn't just recover. She rewrote the script. Her ... More story is a lesson in leading with heart.
Perhaps Rochette's most difficult leadership transformation was unlearning the belief that strength equals self-sufficiency. 'I had to consciously dismantle my ingrained mindset,' she admits. 'Learning to accept support wasn't my M.O., but it changed everything.'
By welcoming help, she allowed her colleagues to participate in her healing. 'I've always been a joy seeker,' she adds. 'But now I'm also a joy enabler.'
Rewriting internal narratives takes time and effort. Here are a few strategies to start:
Setbacks aren't just about what happens to us but what we choose to call it. And in that choice lies the power to lead with strength.
'By demonstrating vulnerability as a leader, we remind others that breaking doesn't mean you're broken,' Rochette concludes.
