‘Zell so highly values the art of communication that he insists it is essential to the making of a true leader. “I realised that being able to sell your ideas is what leadership is really all about. People will follow people. And your ability

to define and delineate your ideas, to bring them to a level of simplicity

so that other can both understand and buy in, is an extraordinary asset and a requirement to achieve true leadership.”  These telling words are from p.79 of billionaire businessman and philanthropist Sam Zell’s book, Money talks and bull* walks

• How well do you sell your ideas?
• How well can you define and delineate your ideas?
• Can you bring your ideas to a level of simplicity so others can both understand them, and buy in to them?

Own the Conversation

Implementation suggestion. #1 Schedule a 13 minute meeting in your calendar to review an upcoming presentation. #2 Ask yourself the following questions, with the aim of making at least one improvement to the presentation. a. How could I better understand the audience’s mood and mind in order to tailor the presentation? b. How do I want the audience to feel after the presentation? c. How could I simplify my key take away message(s)? p.s. “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through argument, debate and doubt and offer a solution everybody can understand.” Colin Powell