Page 16 - Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders

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PROLOGUE
licly silent since Appomattox. This gave Lee the opportunity he had been
waiting for. Not only could he repudiate the killing of Lincoln, he could also
issue a call to his fellow Southern generals to lay down their arms and avoid
a protracted guerrilla war that could not have been won, but would have pro-
longed the bloodshed. Upon learning of Lee’s wishes, the Confederate gen-
erals followed his example and surrendered. This savage war was hastened to
a final denouement through the leadership messages of a general who at his
surrender had given up his power but not the authority of his leadership com-
munications. It was a profound moment, one in which words begat actions
that created understanding and achieved inspired results. 2

A leader can use words to accomplish much. Words by themselves are bits of
information. Words backed by the leader’s character, conviction, and personal
example have the power to communicate: to inform, to exhort, to cheer, to heal,
or to inspire.
Speaking out loud, the most self-evident form of communications, is
probably the easiest thing any leader can do. Most people who are in supervi-
sory positions have the ability to speak. The ability to speak, however, is not
the same thing as the ability to communicate. Communications is a two-way
process that involves both speaking and listening, and also checking for
understanding. This is not easy. The ability to communicate is the leader’s
most effective tool. The capacity to construct a message, address it to another,
listen for feedback, process that feedback, and continue to communicate in
ways that are understood is one of the hardest things a leader will have to do.
But it can be done. And it can be done by anyone who is willing to invest the
time and effort to do it.

THREE THINGS

Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders is about three big leadership
ideas (see Figure P-1):

Developing the leadership message—what you want to say and do
Delivering the leadership message—getting the message across, ver-
bally, mentally, and metaphorically

Sustaining the leadership message—keeping the message alive and
fresh and meaningful