Insight20 Speaking #1

In celebration of our 20th anniversary, we’re sharing the expertise we’ve gleaned over 20+ years and giving you these 20 insights for modeling excellent listening, speaking, and narrative leadership. 

Effective communication isn’t about the perfect or loudest message. In fact, what we say doesn’t matter as much as what people take away. Meaning is determined by the listener. So, our communication should focus on the recipient. Our communication must offer invitations in which our audiences can see themselves, know they’re welcome to show up with their own experiences and perspectives, and have the agency to make choices and move from mere compliance to true understanding.

In cultures of excellent communication, the goal isn’t merely transmission or transaction – it’s reception and resonance.

Why are you speaking? What do you want to inspire?

Be intentional about what you want your audience to feel, believe, and do. When communication fails, it’s often because we haven’t clearly conveyed our intentions — because we haven’t taken the time to figure out what they are.

This is the “Hand” in our Heart, Head & Hand® framework for communication.

You can view all of our Insight20 series here — We’re adding new questions and insights through the end of the year. For more tips on speaking, view our speaking resource section here.