To create and realize a future that was not going to happen anyway, you will need to gain access to the power of language beyond mere accurate representation of the world as it already exists says Erhard et al (2022)
In other words, rather than simply using language to represent what is so in the world, you will need to be able to use language to bring something new into existence – that is, rather than being limited to making your words match the world, you will need to be able to use language so that the world comes to match your words.
When we are speaking about something – for example, an object, our speaking simply represents that object in language – we are merely speaking about that something. That something does not come out of our mouth. Rather, what comes out of our mouth is a representation of that something.
The other way of speaking is to have the world come to match our words. When we engage in speaking that has the world match our words, we are not merely speaking about that something, we bring it into existence as we speak. What you say creates the world or brings forth a world (or some aspect of the world).
For instance, when you say “I promise …” you are not speaking about something. What comes out of your mouth is the promise. There are 6 other speech acts that bring forth, or facilitate bringing forth, a future that was not going to happen anyway.
Erhard, Werner and Jensen, Michael C. and Zaffron, Steve and Echeverria, Jeronima, Course Materials for: ‘Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model’ (October 4, 2022). Harvard Business School NOM Working Paper No. 09-038, Simon School Working Paper No. 08-03, Barbados Group Working Paper No. 08-02, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1263835 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1263835