Leading Through Language

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In March of 2014 I received a cold call from a literary agent, Brian Wood, who wanted to talk to me about the possibility of writing a book. In a to-the-point style I have come to appreciate, Brian dispensed with pleasantries and said, “I'll get right to the point – I've read your writing about leadership communication online, and you should write a book.”

I politely told Brian that while I was flattered, the timing wasn't good. After all, just three months ago my life had changed drastically: I had just assumed the CEO role of The Humphrey Group, I had relocated my family from Vancouver (where I had been running our Western Canadian operations for five years) back to Toronto, and we had just moved into a new house and were settling in. I hadn't even gotten my first 90 days in! But Brian was not to be deterred, and he suggested a quick chat when he was next in town. I accepted, and as our meeting drew closer, I mulled over the possibility of writing a book. I started to realize there were some compelling reasons to consider proceeding.

First was the ability to share our intellectual capital with a much broader audience. Having spent over a decade at The Humphrey Group, I had developed a greater passion for our unique leadership communications methodology; over and over clients told us that it demystified the critical skill of inspirational speaking. They loved the practicality and how it could be applied to virtually any interaction. And frequently ...