Book Summary Preview : The Leader’s Voice

The Big Idea
Every leader has, at one time or another, made these four fatal assumptions:

1. Assuming constituents have understood the message
2. Assuming constituents agree to the message
3. Assuming constituents care about the message
4. Assuming constituents will act accordingly

We are only human, and leaders sometimes assume the message has gotten through and communication has taken place. More often than not, there is a breakdown. Whether others may tailor the message to suit their own personal agendas or are feeling disconnected, as almost half of working Americans feel towards their company or organization, this book focuses on how individual leaders can achieve results through big ideas involving creating better strategic alignment, greater credibility, and clarity.

Communicating to the reader in vivid real-world examples while supporting it with facts based on 20 years of leadership consulting, the authors break down the principles in simple language while hitting home through stories of inspiration.

Beginning with the big idea at the end
Our forefathers were farmers. Our fathers were industrialists and builders. Today we are information providers. The golden age of talent has come. Leaders who lack the knowledge and communication skills, those who cannot balance facts with human emotion, and significance in symbols, will lead their companies into a blind alley.

Inventing the new world of work

“For the foreseeable future, information will be the business resource and innovation the work.”

1. The Leader’s Voice Model

The most effective communicators use three essential channels to convey important leadership messages to overcome the four fatal assumptions. These channels are the…

• Factual
• Emotional
• Symbolic

To develop your leader’s voice you need to gain clarity in these areas as well:

• Authenticity
  Who am I as a leader? What drives me? What do I truly believe?
  
• Foresight
  What is our vision/brand identity? Where will our strategic direction take us? What kind of organization do we want to be?
  
• Connection
  How do I get through the fog? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  

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