LEADING OUT LOUD Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication By Terry Pearce Foreword by David S. Pottruck Publisher: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Company Publication Date: June 2003 Price: $25.95/hardcover // ISBN: 0-7879-6397-6 "LEADING OUT LOUD is worthy of your time and energy. . . It will teach you about real leadership and about real leadership communication. . . In this world of cynicism, the lessons Terry teaches are as timely as they are timeless." -- David S. Pottruck, President and CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation "LEADING OUT LOUD is a superb, enjoyable, and practical road map on how we can become effective inspirers of change." -- Costas Markides, Robert Bauman Professor of Strategic Leadership, London Business School "LEADING OUT LOUD will become an oft-turned-to handbook when stress is high and the outcome of particular communication is critical." -- Mel Bergstein, founder and CEO, Diamond Cluster MOTIVATING AND INSPIRING OTHERS REQUIRES MORE THAN A GREAT SPEECH Communication Expert, Terry Pearce, Shows Leaders How To Generate Commitment In Landmark Book, LEADING OUT LOUD Communication expert Terry Pearce, recently named the éminence grise of executive coaches by BusinessWeek, has worked with hundreds of CEOs, senior public officials, and elected leaders, teaching them how to inspire others through authentic communication. In the new and revised edition of his landmark book, LEADING OUT LOUD (Jossey-Bass, $25.95), Pearce presents a philosophy, a rationale, and a framework for developing a communication platform that is based on truthfulness, believability, and a genuine understanding of oneself and others. At the heart of the book is Pearce's conviction that leaders - whether they run a business, a nonprofit, a club, an orchestra, a city, or a country - must do more than justnconstruct and give a good speech. Before they communicate anything at all, they need to examine their own core beliefs and values, and understand how what they do and say impacts others. "New times, new crises, and new communication tools have made leaders accessible, vulnerable, and visible," Pearce writes. "It takes more courage than ever to take the lead in changing things for the better." He argues that to achieve true commitment, rather than just compliance, leaders need to convey the "facts" - information necessary to make and implement change - as well as the "why" that gives their message meaning. In LEADING OUT LOUD, which is illustrated with dozens of examples from business executives, public figures, and others, he shows how to convey ideas passionately and effectively - not only in the "big speech," but also in every day situations, including informal conversations, meetings, e-mail, and voicemail. In Part One of his book, Pearce explains why leaders must be self-aware, knowing what drives them and what they want to achieve. An essential part of this discussion is the role that emotions play in all human interactions. Pearce emphasizes that, in order to create an environment of openness and candor, leaders must commit to developing emotional intelligence, to be able to connect to other people's feelings as well as their own. In Part Two, Pearce addresses leadership communication itself, beginning with a discussion of how the brain processes the millions of bits of information it receives every second, interpreting this data and - often unconsciously - using it to make judgments. In describing how to motivate others, Pearce underscores the importance of maintaining consistency in one's message, establishing trustworthiness, creating a shared context, and declaring and describing a future that others want to be part of. He explores specific communication techniques for accomplishing this - such as using analogy, story, metaphor, and personal experience to make connections with others. Throughout LEADING OUT LOUD, Pearce presents issues that leaders and their teams should consider. He suggests they ask themselves such questions as: What problem needs to be solved - specifically? What needs to change? Why is it important? What is the meaning to me and to others? How can I relate this change as progress, rather than an unrelated shift in what we do? What will my constituents need to know about me to be confident in my leadership? What are people thinking and feeling about this issue? What commonality do we share? What mistakes might I have made with regard to this issue or with this group that I could acknowledge? What new, desirable reality will be created with the change? What would be the consequences (tangible and intangible) of not taking action? What specific action am I taking personally, irrespective of what others may do, that is significant enough to inspire others? "People make commitments to causes they value and to people they respect and trust," writes Pearce. "Rediscovering an authentic voice and maintaining a commitment to meaningful change are requisites for any leader who would respond to these needs." With LEADING OUT LOUD as a guide, readers will learn how to build trust and inspire change by speaking directly to the minds and hearts of others. # # # ABOUT THE AUTHOR In November 2002, BusinessWeek magazine called TERRY PEARCE the "éminence grise" of executive coaches. He is the founder and president of Leadership Communication, a coaching and consulting company with select clients that include CEOs, senior public officials, and elected leaders. He also teaches leadership courses at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and the London Business School, and is a frequent keynote speaker in the United States and abroad. Pearce is co-author (with David Pottruck) of the bestselling Clicks and Mortar: Passion-Driven Growth in an Internet-Driven World (Jossey-Bass, 2000).
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