Secret Language of Leadership

The AuthorStephen Denning is senior fellow at the James MacGregor Burns Leadership Academy at the University of Maryland and the author of The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling and Squirrel Inc. from Jossey-Bass. He is former program director, knowledge management, at the World Bank. In 2003 he was named as one of the world’s Top Two Hundred Business Gurus. His articles have appeared in leading business publications such as Harvard Business Review and Strategy & Leadership.

• Preface: My Leadership Journey viiPart One: What Is Transformational Leadership? 1Introduction: Ten Mistakes Transformational Leaders Make 31 The Secret Language of Leadership 21Part Two: The Language of Leadership: Key Enablers 512 Articulating a Clear, Inspiring Goal 533 The Leader’s Own Story: Committing to the Goal 654 Mastering the Audience’s Story 805 Cultivating Narrative Intelligence 926 Telling Truthful Stories 1167 Leadership Presence: The Body Language of Leadership 132Part Three: The Language of Leadership: Key Steps 1478 Getting People’s Attention 1499 Stimulating Desire 16610 Reinforcing with Reasons 18711 Continuing the Conversation 19912 Epilogue 211Appendix 1: Presentation to the Change Management Committee of the World Bank: April 1996 221Appendix 2: Templates and Exercises 229Appendix 3: What’s Your Narrative Intelligence? 235Notes 245Acknowledgments 265About the Author 267Index 269

Named one of the "Best Business Books of the Year" (2007) by Financial Times: "Leaders don’t just execute strategy, they must inspire others to follow...This book explains how." (Financial Times, December 8, 2007) "Denning cohesively links the importance of narrative intelligence and telling stories to leadership success." (Library Journal, December 2007)"...if there's one person who knows more than anyone else about the power of business narrative it's...Steve Denning."  (MyCustomer.com, Friday 7th December 2007)"This book's lucid explanations, vivid examples and practical tips are essential reading..."  (PublicNet.co.uk, Tuesday 4th December 2007)"...an array of glowing testimonials from truly famous people.  Definitely one for those interested in transformational change."  (Strategic Communication Management, December 2007)"…an educational and informative book that can be effortlessly read from cover to cover." (Inside Knowledge, September 2007)