Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Speaking as a Leader"Readers will find themselves transformed by this book. I thought I was a good speaker going into The Humphrey Group's seminar. But I had no idea how good I could be."
—MARTHA FELL, CEO, Women in Capital Markets
"I can say from experience that anyone who wants to speak as a leader should read this book. I first worked with Judith when I was CFO at Imperial Oil. When I became CEO of Petro-Canada I not only used those communication skills, but brought Judith in to work with my entire executive team."
—RON BRENNEMAN, Former CEO, Petro-Canada
"The great thing about this book—and Judith's approach—is that it teaches leaders how to bring forward clear, compelling ideas. It offers readers the rare gift of intellectual eloquence."
—STUART GRAHAM, President, Pimco Canada
"Speaking as a Leader is necessary reading for anyone who must influence up, down, and across their organization. We in OMERS Capital Markets have found the techniques invaluable for everyone from our managing directors to our associate interns."
—JAMES DONEGAN, President, OMERS Capital Markets
"I gave presentations (with slides) every day but a speech behind a lectern made me freeze. Judith taught me that the audience needs a pause and will wait to take in what I was saying. That approach saved my life. This book will help you too!"
—DAVID GALLOWAY, Chairman, BMO Bank of Montreal Financial Group
"Communication skills make a huge difference when senior teams consider who has potential to move up to more senior roles. This book will give you that crucial edge."
—HELEN HANDFIELD-JONES, Co-Author, The War For Talent
"Speaking as a Leader provides readers with a single approach that has enabled me to successfully reach all my audiences—board members, senior executives, my leadership team, employees, shareholders, and analysts."
—STEPHEN DYER, Chief Financial Officer, Agrium Inc.
"The methodology set out in this book has had a tremendous impact for us at Goldcorp—enabling those at our mining sites to speak with confidence and conviction."
—ANNA M. TUDELA , Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Goldcorp Inc.
Synopsis
Make every communication count—with a simple, four-step speaking modelWhether it's among colleagues at lunch or an audience of a thousand, a leader's role is to move and inspire others. It's not only the big occasions that test a leader's mettle, but the little ones as well—in a casual conversation in the elevator, in phone calls, or one of many incidental, seemingly "insignificant" interactions in everyday work life. Written by one of the world's leading communications coaches, Speaking as a Leader shows you how to make the most of your daily communications, creating a presence on the job as a genuine and constant leader.
In this eye-opening guide, aspiring (and established) leaders can enhance their reputations and influence by following a few simple steps. Speaking as a Leader:
- Shows how to structure your thoughts and message in any situation using a four-step model
- Offers tips on listening effectively, in three dimensions
- Details why you are the best visual and how to avoid "Death by PowerPoint"
- Offers guidance on taking the "numb" out of numbers
- Includes tips on moving from subject to message
With Speaking as a Leader, you'll learn to tap into your innate leadership skills at every occasion—whether small or large—and earn the sort of respect that creates devoted friends and passionate supporters.
Synopsis
"A leader's role is to move others—engage them and inspire them to action."
—JUDITH HUMPHREY
Speaking as a Leader will show you how to influence and inspire others every time you speak. It provides a single, comprehensive approach that will help you lead in every communication, from formal speeches and presentations, to phone calls, meetings, Q&A, and elevator conversations.
Too often communications situations represent lost opportunities to lead. Messages are confused, audiences are bored or overwhelmed by a flood of information, and the speaker fails to elicit action. When people fail to communicate they fail to lead.
Speaking as a Leader addresses this problem and puts communication squarely at the center of leadership. In today's flattened organizations, leadership opportunities exist in every interaction and for individuals at every level. For a leader, the mike is always on.
This book will help readers meet the enormous challenge of engaging, energizing, and motivating others day in and day out. It will help you unlock your leadership potential every time you communicate and turn your listeners into followers and believers. Its four-step model will show you how to:
Think like a leader
Script yourself as a leader
Use the language of leadership
Achieve a leader's presence.
No other book offers such a powerful approach to move you from information to inspiration.
About the Author
Judith Humphrey is Founder and President of The Humphrey Group, one of North America's premier executive communications firms. For over 20 years The Humphrey Group has been coaching thousands of senior business people who wish to lead every time they speak. The firm's training programs, such as Speaking as a Leader and Taking the Stage, have been delivered globally to over 100,000 people directly and through train-the-trainer programs. The Humphrey Group's clients include blue chip companies around the world. Judith has published articles in the Harvard Management Communication Letter, Vital Speeches of the Day, and Presentations That Persuade and Motivate (Harvard Business School Press). The Humphrey Group has offices in Toronto and Vancouver and its website is www.thehumphreygroup.com.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Introduction: Speaking as an Act of Leadership 1
STEP 1: THINK LIKE A LEADER 9
Chapter 1: Begin with Vision 11
Chapter 2: Think beyond Hierarchies 17
Chapter 3: Move from Information to Inspiration 27
Chapter 4: Move from Negatives to Positives 35
Chapter 5: Speak with Conviction 41
Chapter 6: Listen, Listen, Listen 49
Chapter 7: Commit to Communicating 59
STEP 2: SCRIPT YOURSELF AS A LEADER 69
Chapter 8: What Is a Leader's Script? 71
Chapter 9: Open with a Grabber 77
Chapter 10: State Your Subject 87
Chapter 11: Lead with a Message 91
Chapter 12: Develop a Persuasive Structure 101
Chapter 13: Close with a Call to Action 113
STEP 3: USE THE LANGUAGE OF LEADERSHIP 121
Chapter 14: Speak with Clarity 123
Chapter 15: Take the "Jar" out of Jargon 131
Chapter 16: Be Conversational 137
Chapter 17: Be Personal 145
Chapter 18: Be Eloquent 153
Chapter 19: Don't Be . . . Um . . . Tentative 161
Chapter 20: Take the "Numb" out of Numbers 167
Chapter 21: Jokes Are Not for Leaders 173
STEP 4: ACHIEVE A LEADER'S PRESENCE 177
Chapter 22: Bring Your Script to Life 179
Chapter 23: You Are the Best Visual 187
Chapter 24: The Eyes of a Leader 191
Chapter 25: Suit the Action to the Word 203
Chapter 26: Find Your Leader's Voice 215
Conclusion: Always Leading, Always Influencing 225
Endnotes 231
Index 243