HOW
LEADERS
SPEAK
HOW
LEADERS
SPEAK
Essential Rules
for Engaging and
Inspiring Others
JIM GRAY
DUNDURN PRESS
TORONTO
Copyright © Jim Gray, 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.
Project Editor: Michael Carroll
Editor: Nicole Chaplin
Designer: Jennifer Scott
Printer: Webcom
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Gray, Jim, 1950-
How leaders speak : essential rules for engaging and inspiring
others / by Jim Gray.
ISBN 978-1-55488-701-9
1. Business communication. 2. Communication in management. 3. Oral communication.
I. Title.
HF5718.G739 2010 658.4’52 C2009-907458-3
1 2 3 4 5 14 13 12 11 10
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit program, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.
J. Kirk Howard, President
Printed and bound in Canada.
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How Leaders Speak is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Bertie and Jimmy Gray, inspiring communicators both.
Contents
Author’s Note
The First Key — Preparation
Locked and Loaded
The Second Key — Certainty
Pre-Presentation Jitters
The Beauty of Slow
The Big Day
Taking on the Tough Stuff
An Hour to Liftoff
Those First Ninety Seconds
It’s On!
The Third Key — Passion
You’re All in This Together
Keep the Focus on Your Listeners
The Hazards of Humour
Low-Risk Humour
Love the Point You’re With
Say No to Negativity
The Stretch Run
Strong Close, Strong Words
The Fourth Key — Engagement
Big Impact Openings
The Eyes Have It
Repetition Rules
The Give and Take of Feedback
Dealing with Difficult People
The Question-and-Answer Session
The Fifth Key — Commitment
An Exhilarating Journey for Young and Old
Buckle Down and Influence Up
On Bearing Bad News
Communicating in a Crisis
Speaking Through the Media
What Leaders Do
Final Words
About the Author
Index
Author’s Note
The ability to speak convincingly to others — to compel them — has to rank as one of the most important skills in business and in life.
It’s the mark of a true leader.
For many who aspire to leadership, it’s the one proficiency they lack. For many who occupy positions of leadership, it’s the one missing element that prevents them from fully realizing all that they can be.
Audiences in today’s communication-saturated age — consumers, voters, employees, shareholders, and the media — are more demanding and critical than ever. They want leaders who can address them with clarity and authenticity.
You are being judged
You don’t have to be running a Fortune 500 company to be scrutinized on your presentation skills. Whoever you are and whatever you do, you’re continually being evaluated by how well you speak — how credibly,