Lightbulb moments sometimes emerge when you least expect them.
Until the third quarter, I had a predictable first half of the year. I facilitated communication sessions for executive MBA cohorts at the Financial Times-ranked Lagos Business School and delivered leadership communication sessions to executives across industries.
But I was somewhat restless. Despite the rewarding interactions with ambitious professionals, routine tasks such as coaching them, grading their scripts, and editing documents felt predictable. Humdrum.
But that changed in early July when I had the mid-year review with my boss. He challenged me to develop a framework that would help executive MBAs consistently upskill their communication skills. The first lightbulb moment came when, during our meeting, I realised I had at least three frameworks I’d been using to lecture and train executives at that business school for almost a decade. But I still wanted to devise a system that would be objective, measurable, and deployable across cultures.
So, I got to work, drawing on two decades of obsession with effective communication and my experience as a lecturer, trainer, and published author.
Then I unveiled the ‘system’: The Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool™. And four months of refining and obsessing over the culturally intelligent assessment followed, until it entered its beta stage in November.
That lightbulb moment led to several and culminated in the most significant project I’ve embarked on in my career (with my 346-page communication book ‘Influence and Thrive’ taking the second spot).
Therefore, upon reflection, I’ve selected the nine most transformative articles of 2025 to provide your lightbulb moments and move the needle for you in 2026.
1) Yes, Excellent Grammar STILL Matters When Writing To Influence People
Date: 30 January 2025
Sigh. We shouldn’t even be having this conversation in 2025, 2026, or beyond. But if you’re unconvinced that learning ‘dry’ grammatical rules is necessary for superb writing, then this is the article for you. In it, I provide three compelling ways grammar amplifies your business writing and enables you to influence people beyond the confines of your circles.
2) Two Potent Ways Specificity Transforms Your Communication And Drives Results
Date: 24 February 2025
Borne out of my frustration with the vague writing I routinely see when grading executive MBA scripts, I wrote this article to champion the need for radical specificity.
Specificity is often glossed over. Yet, knowing how to infuse it in your writing and speaking guarantees your pervasiveness and delivers results. In this evergreen article, I give you rock-solid reasons to prioritise it and explain how to proceed. Share widely.
3) How Your Customer Service Staff Emails Repel — And Negate Your Reputation
Date: 30 April 2025
Your service staff are alienating customers with rude emails. Nip the problem before your organisation loses clientele and bleeds revenue.
In this article, I present the case of ‘Precious’, a discourteous customer service staff member, and highlight what your staff should and should not do. Take the recommendations seriously.
4) Dear Managers: Professional Courtesy Is NOT Negotiable
Date: 29 May 2025
If you’ve ever spoken through gritted teeth in a barely controlled face-off with a toxic manager, you’re not alone.
Now, as a manager, you may think that professional courtesy doesn’t impact your career. But you’re wrong. Selective customer service is now the norm. That’s why infusing professional courtesy into your communication enhances your credibility and maturity, and sets you apart for advancement. In this article, I share a real-life case study and provide practical ways to differentiate yourself with this valuable attribute.
5) What Do AI Tools Say About You? Here’s Why You Should Care
Date: 30 June 2025
AI is here to stay, so move aside, Google.
ChatGPT and other AI tools are becoming the next best-kept secret for hyper-relevance and visibility. This article teaches two powerful reasons to care about what AI tools say about you. Then follow the communication advice given to position yourself so they recommend you as the top choice in your industry.
6) The New Standard: Unveiling The Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool™
Date: 28 July 2025
This month changed everything and helped me to develop that ‘system’ I mentioned earlier.
Most communication assessments focus on one or two segments and don’t reveal much to support targeted interventions.
However, the Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool™ is different. This comprehensive, globally relevant, and culturally intelligent assessment resource addresses the four most critical communication domains: nonverbal communication and interpersonal skills, verbal communication (including public speaking and presentations), business writing, and leadership communication and influence. It also provides objective insights that guide interventions and impact. From entry-level professionals to C-suite leaders, this tool helps you refine your communication skills to influence others, drive better results, and thrive in the era of AI.
7) Your Communication Blind Spots: How To Identify Them And Close Gaps
Date: 31 August 2025
This article served as the foundation for my DisruptHR Lagos 3 talk.
Since you can’t fix what you don’t know, identifying your communication blind spots and closing gaps are critical to your professional growth.
However, the ultimate challenge is integrating the four most vital domains — nonverbal communication and interpersonal skills, public speaking and presentation skills, business writing skills, and leadership communication and influencing skills — into one comprehensive, bias-free, culturally intelligent assessment.
The Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool is the answer. It’s a diagnostic and prescriptive assessment that identifies your blind spots and baselines and then provides development insights to close gaps over time. Transition to this new standard in communication skills evaluation.
8) Don’t Be Fooled: Practice Makes Flexible — Not Perfect
Date: 27 October 2025
So you still believe that practice makes perfect in your speeches or presentations? You’re missing the point of effective communication and setting yourself up for anxiety and lacklustre delivery.
However, not all preparation techniques are equal.
In this article, as a communications coach, I challenge you to rethink how you prepare, because the goal isn’t to be clever or go viral, but to adapt to diverse contexts. The most effective speakers are flexible enough to handle anything — even tech glitches — and still serve their audience with confidence and grace. Therefore, discover why mastery in public speaking isn’t about perfection but flexibility, and how my ‘Reverse PowerPoint Technique’ delivers both.
9) The CoReC™ Pillars Of Inclusive Communication — The Leader’s New Superpower
Date: 30 November 2025
At over 3,600 words, this premium thought leadership piece is the longest and most detailed on the blog so far, and for good reason.
The research on organisations that prioritise diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies is clear: less churn, more innovation, and higher performance. But how should leaders communicate in these contexts?
In this article, I present a real-life scenario, illustrative examples, and deep insights to unveil the CoReC Pillars™ of Inclusive Communication — three practical strategies for leaders to drive impact, engagement, and inclusion across regions.
Conclusion
The biggest lesson I’ve learned in 2025 — as trite as it sounds — is that it’s not over for the year until the clock strikes midnight on 31 December.
Remember that my ‘aha’ moment in July sparked a fire that led me to develop the biggest communications project of my career. Similarly, your unexpected burst of inspiration (or obsession) might come from the most unlikely of sources. And it might not be convenient. But stay flexible and dance to your own beat. Your actions, no matter how small, compound and motivate you, driving you forward. This has been my experience.
So, draw inspiration from the nine articles above and remain open to the ‘scary’ opportunities that present themselves in 2026.
Note:
The Global 4-Domain Communication Skills Rating Tool™ is currently in beta and will remain private until its public launch in 2026.
In the meantime, please email Lucille@LucilleOssai.com if you’d like me to speak at your event or design and deliver communication coaching and training programmes for your organisation.
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N.B: First and fourth images are courtesy of Peggy and Marco Lachmann-Anke via Pixabay. Second image is courtesy of Pete Linforth via Pixabay. Third image is courtesy of Gerd Altmann via Pixabay.