Keller @ Large: Language The Currency Of Leadership

BOSTON (CBS) - Secretary of State John Kerry has a full platter these days of complex problems. I'm sure we all wish him good luck solving them.

But whatever Kerry's diplomatic skills may be - and right now all of us certainly hope they are razor-sharp – they clearly do not extend to public messaging.

Four days ago, the day after the president's speech explaining how our war with ISIS will be "different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." Kerry gave an interview to CBS in which he tried to dissuade people from catching "war fever" by dismissing the use of the word "war" to describe what we're involved in.

"We're engaged in a major counterterrorism operation, and it's going to be a long-term counterterrorism operation," Kerry said. "I think war is the wrong terminology."

This came as a surprise to those who thought they heard the president categorize it as a war, not to mention the officials at the Pentagon and State Department who are calling it a "war."

So Sunday, in an embarrassing exchange on "Face the Nation," Kerry reluctantly acknowledged that "yeah, we're at war with al Qaeda and its affiliates….[and] yes, we're at war with ISIL."

Language is the currency of leadership.

Use the right words, forthrightly and at the right time, and you can move opinion. Play foolish word games that give the impression you'd prefer to shade the truth, and people will say what I'm saying:

Don't patronize us, Mr. Secretary. Americans being killed, our military mobilizing – we know what that is.

And you of all people should be disinclined to try to sugarcoat it.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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