Kevin Murray is the Chairman of the Good Relations Group, the Public Relations Division of Chime Communications. He was previously the Chairman of Bell Pottinger, one of the UK's leading PR agencies with 20 offices worldwide, including New York and Washington DC. He was previously the Director of Communications for British Airways and is a former national newspaper journalist, magazine publisher and marketing director.

Includes new interviews from CEOs whose companies have been hardest hit by the financial downturn

Foreword
Thanks

Introduction: communicate to inspire

Part One Why you need to be a better communicator if you want to lead
01 Napoleon's leadership legacy The shots that echo through time
'Create leaders everywhere!'
The importance of understanding the commander's intent
Communication is the glue that binds strategy and delivery together
Keep it simple
Free people up with a tight framework
Stand up for what you believe in
Key points from Chapter 1

02 Leadership transformed - life in the fishbowl Perpetual communication
The questions that really matter
The new partnership driving transparency
Stories evolve at an incredible pace
Internal e-mails can be very public
Most leadership communication is not fit for purpose
Businesses are like open democracies
Leaders must create leaders
Radical transparency needs radical thinking
Key points from Chapter 2

03 The 12 principles of leadership communication Be yourself, better
Mission and values
Future focus
Bring the outside in
Engage through conversations
Audience centricity
Listening
Point of view
Stories and anecdotes
Signals
Prepare properly for public platforms
Learn, rehearse, review, improve

Part Two The fundamentals
04 Learn to be yourself, better What followers want from leaders
What do leaders want from the leaders they hire?
Talking from the heart
Be visible, be human and be straight
To be seen as a hero, you have to be a hero
All-round authenticity
Have the confidence to be you
Know your strengths to be yourself better
How do you go about identifying your values and mission?
A springboard to action, a leadership platform
The need for emotion in business
Key points from Chapter 4

05 Provide a framework for leadership and action, through mission and values Values build trust
Why people love a motivating mission
Employees want a good mission statement
Employees need to feel part of the story
The need to raise people's sights
Externally, a purpose wider than profit is needed
Be an engine of progress for humankind
Involve everyone in your mission
Reputations at risk
The need for speed and the need to create leaders
Three examples of mission and values at work
Make sure the values resonate
In the public sector, purpose and values are all-important
The value of values
Key points from Chapter 5

06 Communicate the future to drive the present To talk about the future, you have to be very clear about the future
Back to the future, over and over
Keep people engaged in the future
Your future must embrace all stakeholders
Four examples of how leaders bring mission, values, vision and goals together
Bring to life the customer's experience
Key points from Chapter 6

07 Bring the outside in and focus on building relationships and trust Loss of your 'licence to operate'
Managing the intangible asset of relationships
The virtuous circle in relationships
The real value of trust
Watch out for the reputation gap
The three dimensions of trust
Why leaders need to inject more character into their communication
The health warning on building trust
How to unlock the value in relationships
Tuning in to the court of public opinion
Get your hands dirty
If need be, actually bring the client in
The customer experience brings the vision alive
How to develop quivering antennae
But what do I do with the insights?
Key points from Chapter 7

08 Engage and align through conversationsWhat is an engaged employee?
Myth: 'People are our only asset'
Engagement at the heart of strategy
Choice, not change
The ingredients of engagement
Measure and monitor engagement
Input equals buy-in
Don't dominate the conversation
If communication is so important, where is the training?
Key points from Chapter 8

Part Three Communicate, communicate, communicate
09 It's all about them - the need for audience centricityIt's not what you say; it's what they hear
What do you want them to think, feel and do?
Don't change the message; change the way you deliver it
How audience centricity helped to establish Canary Wharf
The story of the privy
How to think about your audience
Key points from Chapter 9

10 The inspiring effect of listening leaders Be interested, be respectful and be patient
What stops effective listening?
Listen with your eyes, ears and heart
Listen for solutions
Why leaders should be passionate about bad news
Leaders can listen in different ways
When you listen, you must respond
The killer questions leaders should ask
Good listening + a bias to action = results
Key points from Chapter 10

11 Stand up to stand out - why you need a point of view Using a point of view to take a stand
Why you need an answer that works instantly
The corrosive effect of not taking a stand
What makes a good point of view?
Key points from Chapter 11

12 The power of stories Stories tell us great truths
Logic gets to the brain, stories get to the heart
The difference between a story and a narrative
The four types of business stories
Good stories are easy to find and easy to tell
Choosing the right story
One simple story can achieve more than a volume of rules
Key points from Chapter 12

13 Watch out for the undermining signals beyond the words It's written on your face
People watch your body language too
When being visible is the message
Model the behaviours you want
The meaning between the lines
Symbolic acts send lasting messages
Speaking off the cuff
Key points from Chapter 13

14 Prepare properly for public platforms Get the right training and do the right preparation
Remember, every word counts
Simple messages repeated often
Top tips for dealing with the media
The essence of good presentations and speeches
Communicating in a crisis
And what about the web and social media and Twitter and...?
Key points from Chapter 14

Part Four Conclusion
15 Learn, rehearse, review, improve; become fluent in the language of leadersA top-three skill of leadership, yet sadly neglected
Strive to be an excellent communicator, and you will improve results

16 Leadership in the public sector - is it different?
Inspired by (and inspiring about) making a difference
Results of a study on differences in leadership traits
More similarities than differences
The myths of poor public sector leadership
More focus on purpose and values
Dealing with the complex relationships
The need for collaboration is driving change

17 If you remember nothing else...
18 Your cut out and keep guide to being inspiring
19 The tough questions all leaders need to ask of themselves Are you an inspiring leader and communicator?
Meet the leaders interviewed for this book

Index