Communicate Like a Leader: Connecting Strategically to Coach, Inspire, and Get Things Done

by Dianna Booher

Overview

Draw Them In, Don’t Drive Them Away!

People often get promoted to leadership positions without knowing how to communicate an inspiring strategic vision to the people who report to them. So they focus on what they know: tactics, not strategy. As a result, they become stuck in micromanagement mode.

Dianna Booher wants to prevent micromanagement before it happens by providing you with the right leadership communication skills. Grounded in extensive research, this book offers practical guidelines to help professionals think, coach, converse, speak, write, meet, and negotiate strategically to deliver results. In thirty-six brief chapters, Booher shows you how to communicate effectively to audiences up and down the organization so you can fulfill your most essential responsibilities as a leader.

Winner of the 2018 Axiom Award Silver Medal in the Networking Category.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626569003
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	06/05/2017
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	272,611
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dianna Booher is CEO of Booher Research Institute and the author of forty-seven books, which have collectively sold almost 4 million copies. Her clients include twelve of the twenty-five largest corporations in America.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Challenge of Leadership Communication 1

Part 1 Strategic Leadership: Think Long-Term Investment in People and Payoff

Chapter 1 Communicating as a Leader and as a Manager 11

Chapter 2 Have a Ready Answer for THIS One Key Question-Always 15

Chapter 3 Make Sure the Team Knows the Deliverables 18

Chapter 4 Build a Culture of Trust 24

Chapter 5 Hire Based on Core Character and Competency 27

Chapter 6 Nix Micromanaging and Other Negatives 32

Chapter 7 Squelch the Urge to Hoard 36

Chapter 8 Guide With Strategic Questions 39

Chapter 9 Dislodge Log-Jamming Directives 42

Chapter 10 Become a Coach, Not a Critic 45

Chapter 11 Give Kudos That Count 49

Chapter 12 Fire People to Be Fair 52

Chapter 13 Energize Rather Than Demoralize 56

Chapter 14 Course-Correct Quickly After Bad Decisions 60

Chapter 15 Develop Your People 64

Part 2 Strategic Conversations: Connect With Intent

Chapter 16 Be Intentional About Your Communication Standards 73

Chapter 17 Be a Leader Who Laughs 78

Chapter 18 Respond Promptly in the Age of Twitter 83

Chapter 39 Learn to Apologize or Pay The Penalty 86

Chapter 20 Keep Your Networks Active 89

Part 3 Strategic Negotiations: Look for Mutual Opportunities

Chapter 21 Determine Your Goals, Value, and Walk-Away Point 97

Chapter 22 Adopt Strategic Negotiation Practices 101

Chapter 23 Aim to do the Second Deal 105

Part 4 Strategic Speaking: Persuade Minds and Win Hearts

Chapter 24 Increase Your Executive Presence 111

Chapter 25 Dump Your Data to a Storyline 117

Chapter 26 Engage With Great Stories 121

Chapter 27 Be Brief or Be Dismissed 128

Chapter 28 Prepare for Off-the-Cuff Comments 131

Part 5 Strategic Writing: Write to the Point

Chapter 29 Let Them See How You Think 137

Chapter 30 Trust the TA-DA Template™ 142

Chapter 31 Use Social Media Strategically-Don't Spray Paint 146

Part 6 Strategic Meetings: Deliver Results When You Meet

Chapter 32 Consider a Meeting Before the Meeting 155

Chapter 33 Plug Power Into Your Agenda 157

Chapter 34 Make Little Meeting Matters a Big Deal 160

Chapter 35 Meet Like You Mean Business 164

Chapter 36 Know Your Meeting ROI 169

Next Steps 173

Notes 175

Bibliography 177

Acknowledgments 179

Index 181

About the Author 189

How to Work With Dianna Booher and Booher Research 191

Editorial Reviews

Winner of the 2018 Axiom Award Silver Medal in the Networking Category.

“If you’re a micromanager, you need to know it’s not just ineffective—it’s also the most labor-intensive leadership style. When you read Communicate like a Leader, you’ll learn strategic communication skills that will improve your relationship with your people and actually make leading easier. Dianna Booher is the communication guru of the 21st century!”
—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The New One Minute Manager and One Minute Mentoring

“Great leaders are great communicators, as Dianna Booher points out in this smart, useful book. If you want to become a top-notch strategic communicator, you’d do well to heed the advice in its pages.”
—Marshall Goldsmith, executive coach, business educator, New York Times bestselling author, and Thinkers50 #1 leadership thinker in the world

“Dianna Booher’s brilliant new book, Communicate like a Leader, is the single-best communication guide I have ever read. In it are thirty-six clear, concise, relevant, and practical bits of strategic advice on how to connect with others. No fluff. No wasted words. All substance. I guarantee you that there is something in this book that you can use immediately—and more that you can apply tomorrow and the next day and the next. Buy this right now, read it as soon as you get it, and then put Dianna’s expert advice to work for you. You will be very glad that you did.”
—Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the bestselling The Leadership Challenge and Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

“Everything they didn't teach you at Harvard Business School—but should have—about leadership communication in the real world of work.”
—John Addison, bestselling author; Leadership Editor, Success magazine; and CEO, Addison Leadership Group

“More than a mere treatise on communication, this is an extremely practical and actionable book about becoming a better leader. It happens that leaders do their work by communicating, and Booher provides valuable tactics to use in a wide variety of circumstances. Every reader is guaranteed to take away some useful practices.”
—Jack Zenger, CEO, Zenger Folkman, and bestselling coauthor of The Extraordinary Leader and Speed

“Dianna Booher has done it once again. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking clear, practical, and actionable advice.”
—Catherine Blades, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Aflac Inc.

Great leaders have one thing in common: they are all great communicators. They have discovered how to convert their keen awareness into ideas that speak to one’s emotions and ambitions. They understand that if their message does not take deep root, it will likely make little difference in shaping outcomes. In her newest book, Communicate like a Leader, Dianna Booher calls upon her vast body of work to create an inspirational playbook for leaders in pursuit of excellence. A must-read for people seeking to propel their career.”
—Bill Yancey, Managing Director, Operations, Hilltop Securities Inc.

“Communication and leadership are critical for all success. Dianna Booher is an expert on both fronts and an author of forty-seven books! Learn from her wisdom. Buy this book, read this book, and learn from the very best—I do!”
—Dr. Peter Legge, OBC, CSP, CPAE Hall of Fame, CEO and Chairman, Canada Wide Media Limited

“Once again, Dianna Booher has created a masterpiece of communication. This book is perfect for anyone who is a leader or would like to become one. Buy it. Read it. Study it. Use it. Bank it.”
—Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling and The Little Green Book of Getting Your Way

From the Publisher