Jack Modzelewski - Talk Is Chief: Leadership, Communication & Credibility in a High-Stakes World

Talk Is Chief is a guide to leadership at a challenging time of tweets, fake news, and growing divisions within our democracy. The simple fact is that words matterand that simple words matter the most when they speak to our values. I often say we govern by leadership or crisis. The author makes clear that leadership requires courage in both action and communication.

Leon E. Panetta, chairman, The Panetta Institute for Public Policy

Jack has brought to the forefront the critical skill necessary in managing complex organizations, navigating unimaginable crises, and leading companies to realize greatness. Communication aligns organizations, supports strong and transparent cultures, and is vital to respond to both opportunities and threats. Jack takes us through valuable lessons ranging from building effective communications structures able to capture the data necessary to make swift decisions to fostering relationships with diverse stakeholders. Intuitive, compelling, and practical for all leaders!

Jim Brooks, chief operating officer, Control Risks

Talk Is Chief reminds leaders that above all responsibilities, communication must be first. Jack is spot on, declaring that great leaders not only are good personal communicators but also hire top-notch professionals who help them build and protect reputation, bring invaluable stakeholder perspectives, and give honest counsel.

Melissa Brotz, CMO and chief communications officer, Abbott

Jack Modzelewski has written a must-read primer for anyone being or aspiring to become a leader and/or work in the communication industry. Read this book and learn from one of the best international communications executives.

Guillaume Herbette , chief executive officer, MSLGroup, Publicis

Communication is the foundation for effective leadership and team harmony within any organization. In his debut book, Talk Is Chief , Jack Modzelewski takes the readers on a journey to prove the power of effective communications and gives leaders the principles needed for implementation within their own organizations. Modzelewskis forty-plus years in public relations clearly shine through the entirety of the book. His expertise, deep understanding, and thorough market research blend seamlessly together in a must-read book for management educators and business leaders.

Dipak Jain , p resident, China Europe International Business School

There is no one more qualified to talk about the critical role of communication in driving organizational performance. Jacks experiences as journalist, corporate executive, global communications agency leader, and mentor mean he has insight to offer every leader, regardless of setting. And he practices what he preaches: you will be inspired, informed, and entertained by this book.

Lisa Macpherson , former chief marketing officer, Hallmark Cards

Jack Modzelewski has written a must-read book for both seasoned and aspiring business leaders. In Talk Is Chief you will learn firsthand why culture, leadership, candid communications, and a persistent focus on reinvention are the defining qualities of the worlds best-run companies.

Dave Samson, general manager of public affairs, Chevron Corporation

Modzelewskis book Talk Is Chief makes clear what many of us have known for years, which is that communication is the secret ingredient behind every great leader from Caesar to Tim Cook. Its high time leaders of all organizations understand the power of communication and use it to their advantage.

Paul A. Argenti, Professor of Corporate Communication, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

Talk Is Chief will become a must-read resource for business and communications leaders committed to organizational performance. Jack Modzelewski guides readers through what results-driven communication means in todays enterprise, leveraging his experience and passion for communications coupled with research and real-life examples. As he clearly articulates, the role of the CEO today requires not only vision but the ability to reach, inspire, and influence stakeholdersfrom front-line employees to investors and partnersat a time of information overload. His insights are especially critical today when there is distrust of many institutions and where technology will continue disrupting how we live, work, play, and communicate.

Mnica Taln, vice president of communications, ADT

Talk Is Chief: Leadership, Communication & Credibility in a High-Stakes World
Copyright 2019 by Jack Modzelewski

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used

or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or

mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval

systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.

For information, please contact RosettaBooks at

, or by mail at

125 Park Ave., 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017

First edition published 2019 by RosettaBooks

Cover design by Mimi Bark

Interior design by Christian Fuenfhausen

Illustrations courtesy of CartoonStock.com, CartoonCollections.com, NewsletterCartoons.com, and AbbottCartoons.com

ISBN-13 (print): 978-1-9481-2252-8

ISBN-13 (ebook): 978-0-7953-5274-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Modzelewski, Jack, author.

Title: Talk is chief : leadership, communication, and credibility in a

high-stakes world / Jack Modzelewski.

Description: First edition. | New York : RosettaBooks, [2019] |

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019020414 (print) | LCCN 2019980286 (ebook) |

ISBN 9781948122528 (print) | ISBN 9780795352744 (ebook other)

Subjects: LCSH: Communication in management. | Communication in

organizations. | Leadership.

Classification: LCC HD30.3 .M6326 2019 (print) | LCC HD30.3 (ebook) | DDC 658.4/5--dc23

www.RosettaBooks.com

Speech has allowed the communication of ideas, enabling human beings to work together to build the impossible.

Mankinds greatest achievements have come about by talking. Our greatest hopes could become reality in the future. With technology at our disposal, the possibilities unbounded.

All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.

Pink Floyd, Talkin Hawkin
(Featuring the words of Stephen Hawking)

Clausewitz and Sun Tzu are great, but my best strategic plans come from Pinterest.

Introduction

The CEO of a global automaker projects compelling visions of opportunity in a future mobility industry, all while his companys stock price lags behind a bull market, costing him his job. An activist investor uses his media skills to paralyze the leadership of a company he believes is underperforming. A British CEO takes the helm of an iconic American company with goals to restore its mojo. And an Asian leader becomes the undisputed political boss and storyteller in chief of the second-largest economy in the world.

These are among the tales and anecdotes featured in Talk Is Chief: Leadership, Communication & Credibility in a High-Stakes World , which drives home Sir Winston Churchills statement that the difference between mere management and leadership is communication. Churchill knew. Not only was he a masterful communicator, but he was also the only sovereign leader to win the Nobel Prize for literature. But make no mistake, he worked very hard at his wordsmithing and used clever and inspiring rhetoric as the lubricant of his leadership communication style.