The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader | Communication: Without it you travel alone

4       Communication: Without it you travel alone

Maxwell cited Ronald Reagan, the “Great Communicator” as a great leader “because of his uncanny ability to communicate”.  He shared “four basic truths” to be a more effective communicator:  Simplify your message, see the person, show the truth and seek a response.  Maxwell concluded this chapter with a daily take-away declaring that President Lincoln did not “allow the importance of a piece of communication to complicate its simplicity.  Neither should we.”

 

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Webster’s definition

personal rapport

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My thoughts

Ronald Reagan is often cited as THE American president who could communicate. In this book, Maxwell also asserted that Reagan “was a great leader because of this uncanny ability to communicate”.  So, I already know that Reagan was a great communicator.  What did he do to hone his communication skills?  Or was he born a great communicator?  Maxwell did not expound upon this point.  While he listed “basic truths” and dispense advice on communication improvement, I would want to know how Reagan did it.  That would increase the mileage of this chapter,   In the Daily Take-away section, Maxwell shared a story about President Abraham Lincoln not “allowing the importance of a piece of communication to complicate its simplicity.”  The receiver of President Lincoln’s message might have been clear as a bell on the President’s direction.  But Maxwell certainly did not live his own tip on being “clear as a bell”.  I have no idea what the President was referring to in his message, and neither did Maxwell made it simpler by contextualizing the message.  A very good example could have been made of President Lincoln’s story, but it was unfortunately wasted.  Sure, I could google the context of the message.  Then again, I could also google a list of indispensable qualities of leaders and not pay USD 17.99 for this book.