January 30th, 2012 | ISSN. 1551-6571 | Issue 9.5

Happy Monday!

Welcome to all of our new readers this week - we are so glad you are here. Seeing the list of subscribers grow is a nice weekly treat, but not as valuable to me as the feedback I received second-handedly from a colleague. When he and I got on a phone call yesterday, he told the person he was speaking with before me that he needed to end their call so he could call me. That other person (someone I've never met) told him to tell me "When I get Kevin's newsletter, it's like he is writing just to me." High praise that I hope I earn from you each week as well.

Giving presentations, however formal and regardless of context, is an important leadership skill - and even if you aren't a leader, being able to present your ideas effectively is an important professional skill. I've had lots of time to think about this skill set recently.

In three weeks, I've seen three different preachers at church, I've watched our President give his State of the Union Address (and my Governor give the Republican response), and I'm preparing a brand new keynote for a client in February (if we can help you with your speaking needs, contact Barb).

I've also been thinking about this because I am preparing materials for our members of the Remarkable Leadership Learning System to focus on that skill during the month of February. If you are new here, or have somehow missed it, the Remarkable Leadership Learning System allows leaders to build their skills one skill at a time, one month at a time.

Learn more and join us now

This week's article will also help you work on your presentation skills too - using the powerful tool of storytelling. If you want to use stories more effectively in any situation, including a presentation, read on.

This week's Resource Recommendation might not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you take a sip, you will certainly benefit. Make sure you read my thoughts about this interesting and acclaimed book.

By the next time we "talk" the Super Bowl will be over in Indy, and things may start to get back to normal. In case you are wondering, I'm picking the Giants, 31-28.

Enjoy this issue, have a great week, and remember that . . .

. . .You are Remarkable.

Yours in learning,

Telling a Story That Influences Others

There are many reasons you might want to tell a story. You could tell a story to entertain, to inform, or to get a laugh. You could tell a story to a friend, write it in a blog post, or include it in a presentation.

While there are many situations when a story can be a powerful communication tool, for now I want to focus on one particular use of a story. This is a particularly powerful use of a story and one that I'm confident, because you are reading these words, is important to you.

As a professional and a communicator, you should strive to be a professional communicator; and professional communicators are intentional about what they are communicating, why they are communicating and how they are communicating.
The "what" and the "why" often leave us with the fact that we, as communicators, must influence our audience. When this is true, a story is often an important "how" in the communication toolkit.

Stories have been used through history for all of the purposes I listed above, including being influential. So how can you put their power to work for you?

About the Bud to Boss Workshop

"Enjoyed class and also very excited to get back and put this material to work. I stayed engaged the whole time which is unusual. Great presentation of informative material and great interaction with the group."

Shane Nelson, Carbo Ceramics

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

What do you get when a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his seminal work in psychology decides to put his thinking and work into one book?

You get a book listed by The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, the Economist, and the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011.

You get a fascinating book that talks in tremendous depth about how we think and make decisions.

You get the insights of a master researcher who describes his research and thought processes and puts it into context with the research of others, in a way that seems more relevant and genuine than many current books that cite interesting research.

You get a book that makes you think about yourself, your work and the world around you in new ways.

What you don't get is a book you will read in an evening or likely one you will read casually. (While it is well written and very interesting, it is also deep, so I find myself really thinking as I read its 512 pages.)

While this book isn't written as a self-help or "here's how to use this information" book, there are opportunities for application throughout. In fact, as a reader, I find myself pondering the implications for me in my work as a leader, leadership consultant, coach, and business owner on nearly every page.

Deep, yet accessible; I believe this book will be one of the most important I read this year. Like its author, this book has earned its accolades.

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