Title Details

The Author

Stephen Denning is senior fellow at the James MacGregor Burns Leadership Academy at the University of Maryland and the author of The Leader's Guide to Storytelling and Squirrel Inc. 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 Harvard Business Review and Strategy & Leadership.

Preface: My Leadership Journey vii

Part One: What Is Transformational Leadership? 1

Introduction: Ten Mistakes Transformational Leaders Make 3

1 The Secret Language of Leadership 21

Part Two: The Language of Leadership: Key Enablers 51

2 Articulating a Clear, Inspiring Goal 53

3 The Leader’s Own Story: Committing to the Goal 65

4 Mastering the Audience’s Story 80

5 Cultivating Narrative Intelligence 92

6 Telling Truthful Stories 116

7 Leadership Presence: The Body Language of Leadership 132

Part Three: The Language of Leadership: Key Steps 147

8 Getting People’s Attention 149

9 Stimulating Desire 166

10 Reinforcing with Reasons 187

11 Continuing the Conversation 199

12 Epilogue 211

Appendix 1: Presentation to the Change Management Committee of the World Bank: April 1996 221

Appendix 2: Templates and Exercises 229

Appendix 3: What’s Your Narrative Intelligence? 235

Notes 245

Acknowledgments 265

About the Author 267

Index 269

"Denning cohesively links the importance of narrative intelligence and telling stories to leadership success." (Library Journal, December 2007)

"...if there's one person who knows more than anyone else about the power of business narrative it's...Steve Denning."  (MyCustomer.com, Friday 7th December 2007)

"This book's lucid explanations, vivid examples and practical tips are essential reading..."  (PublicNet.co.uk, Tuesday 4th December 2007)

"...an array of glowing testimonials from truly famous people.  Definitely one for those interested in transformational change."  (Strategic Communication Management, December 2007)

"…an educational and informative book that can be effortlessly read from cover to cover." (Inside Knowledge, September 2007)

"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

"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

"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.

"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

"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