Insights: Communication
Technology update
Earlier this year I published a post or two about technology and productivity tools. Here is an update based on some additional experience: Shoeboxed.com is terrific. Shoeboxed.com is a subscription service that lets you snail-mail business cards, receipts or other documents using prepaid envelopes. Their system then scans these documents, reads the printed text, does […]
Speaking with Authenticity: The Hunger Games
Yesterday I saw the film “The Hunger Games,” and I was struck by how well it conveys what it takes to be an authentic, successful public speaker. In the movie the heroine Katniss is pulled from her humble life hunting game in the woods for her little sister and mother, and is thrust into the […]
Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor, by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and James O’Toole
This thoughtful book would be of special interest to leaders who are struggling with the ethics and risks of “speaking truth to power.” It also provides motivation from highly credible experts for leading in a way that models transparency even when that’s very hard to do. The authors argue that openness leads to positive social […]
Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
Social Intelligence: the New Science of Human Relationships, by Daniel Goleman, Bantam, 2006. This outstanding book talks about human emotions, relationships, and the brain science that helps explain them. It has huge applications for leadership and communication. Section 1 explains why listening, empathy and authenticity are so important (especially in leadership); and describes how much […]
How to Speak Like a CEO, by Suzanne Bates
Review of How to Speak Like a CEO, by Suzanne Bates This is a good overview of leadership communication skills. It emphasizes authenticity, and it covers a broad range of communication topics such as speech / presentation preparation, question and answer sessions, leading meetings, working with the media, and having 1-1 conversations. It doesn’t go […]
Slide:ology, by Nancy Duarte
This is a terrific book. More than a primer on creating slides, it really is an introduction to visual design, and how to think like a visual designer. It doesn’t provide technical guidance about how to operate Powerpoint; it’s all about how to communicate using visual images and words in Powerpoint. It also practices what […]
Welcome to our Blog!
Welcome to our blog! Sierra Leadership is an executive coaching and leadership development firm that helps mission-driven, socially conscious business leaders achieve their goals. Hope you find something useful here–and feel free to reach out! Eric Nitzberg, Principal eric@sierraleadership.com