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<p>Preface: My Leadership Journey vii</p> <p><b>Part One: What Is Transformational Leadership? 1</b></p> <p>Introduction: Ten Mistakes Transformational Leaders Make 3</p> <p>1 The Secret Language of Leadership 21</p> <p><b>Part Two: The Language of Leadership: Key Enablers 51</b></p> <p>2 Articulating a Clear, Inspiring Goal 53</p> <p>3 The Leader’s Own Story: Committing to the Goal 65</p> <p>4 Mastering the Audience’s Story 80</p> <p>5 Cultivating Narrative Intelligence 92</p> <p>6 Telling Truthful Stories 116</p> <p>7 Leadership Presence: The Body Language of Leadership 132</p> <p><b>Part Three: The Language of Leadership: Key Steps 147</b></p> <p>8 Getting People’s Attention 149</p> <p>9 Stimulating Desire 166</p> <p>10 Reinforcing with Reasons 187</p> <p>11 Continuing the Conversation 199</p> <p>12 Epilogue 211</p> <p>Appendix 1: Presentation to the Change Management Committee of the World Bank: April 1996 221</p> <p>Appendix 2: Templates and Exercises 229</p> <p>Appendix 3: What’s Your Narrative Intelligence? 235</p> <p>Notes 245</p> <p>Acknowledgments 265</p> <p>About the Author 267</p> <p>Index 269</p>

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

<p><b>The Author</b></p><p><b>Stephen Denning</b> is senior fellow at the James MacGregor Burns Leadership Academy at the University of Maryland and the author of <i>The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling and Squirrel Inc</i>. 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 <i>Harvard Business Review</i> and <i>Strategy & Leadership.</i></p>

<p>“There is something very special about <i>The Secret Language of Leadership</i>. A lot of authors write about storytelling and other methods of leadership communication. What sets Steve Denning apart is his authenticity. He is one of the rare few who write about it from intensely personal experience. This book offers a genuinely refreshing perspective and an uncommon insight into the narrative life of leadership.”</p><p><b>—Jim Kouzes</b>, coauthor of the best-selling <i>The Leadership Challenge and A Leader’s Legacy</i></p><p> “<i>The Secret Language of Leadership</i> has been instrumental in helping me overcome the challenges of rapid growth and intense competition. It’s all about the story.”</p><p><b>—Reed Hastings</b>, CEO, Netflix Inc.</p><p> How do leaders connect and engage with their audiences? In this sequel to <i>The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling</i>, business narrative expert Steve Denning explains why traditional approaches to leadership communication don’t work and reveals the hidden patterns that effective leaders use to spark change. The book shows how anyone can inspire enduring enthusiasm for a cause, even in skeptical, cynical, or even hostile audiences. </p><p> The book introduces the concept of <i>narrative intelligence</i>—an ability to understand and act and react agilely in the quicksilver world of interacting narratives. It shows why this ability is key to the central task of leadership, what its dimensions are, and how you can measure it. </p><p> The book’s lucid explanations, vivid examples, and practical tips are essential reading for CEOs, managers, change agents, marketers, salespersons, brand managers, politicians, teachers, parents—anyone who is setting out to the change the world. </p>

"If business leaders do not immediately grasp the vital insights offered by this book, both they and their organisations are doomed."--Stefan Stern, Financial Times <p>"Steve Denning is the Warren Buffett of business communication. He sees things others don't and is able to explain them so the rest of us can understand."--Chip Heath, co-author of Made to Stick, Professor of Organizational Behavior, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University</p> <p>"I highly recommend you get it today and read it tonight. Tomorrow will be an entirely different kind of day if you do."---Jim Kouzes, Co-author of the best-selling, The Leadership Challenge, and A Leader’s Legacy</p> <p>"The Secret Language of Leadership has been instrumental in helping me overcome the challenges of rapid growth and intense competition. It's all about the story."--Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix Inc.</p> <p>"I don't think I have ever read a more compelling preface. And best of all, the advice Denning gives to the reader about speaking and writing is exemplified in the way he has written this impressive book."--James MacGregor Burns, distinguished senior scholar, James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership, University of Maryland, and author of Leadership</p> <p>"The Secret Language of Leadership is not only the best analysis I have seen of how and why leaders succeed or fail, it's highly readable, as well as downright practical. It should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in engaging a company with big ideas who understands that leaders live and die by the quality of what they say."--Richard Stone, story analytics master, i.d.e.a.s</p>

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