Leading Out Loud: A Guide for Engaging Others in Creating the Future, 3rd Edition

Documenting Competence and Connection

The insights gleaned through reflection demand the discipline of writing before they can be converted into action. While off-the-cuff conversations can be authentic, they often relay only a momentary emotional impulse. For example, we have all heard public speakers who can “light a fire” in an audience. When these speakers are finished, everyone in the room wants to do something, but no one knows what to do. This same eruptive kind of communication takes place in informal meetings in offices around the world and many of us scramble to comply. Practitioners garner nicknames that portray their style—“Old Ironsides,” or “Neutron Jack.”

Communication that moves others to committed action includes both passion ...