Praise for The Leader Phrase Book A truly useful reference book that any white-collar worker should have close to hand. Dayne Cowan, Chair of the UK Section of the Visual Effects Society Now is your chance to learn the phrases that will make you a success. David Kunkler, number-one best-selling video game producer A snapshot into how little it takes to quickly master the nuances of language. George Bitar, multi-awarded plastic surgeon
The Leader Phrase Book
3000+ Powerful Phrases That Put You in CommandPatrick Alain Copyright 2012 by Patrick Alain All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press. THE LEADER PHRASE BOOK EDITED BY KATE HENCHES TYPESET BY GINA TALUCCI AND DIANA GHAZZAWI Printed in the U.S.A.
To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press. The Career Press, Inc. 220 West Parkway, Unit 12 Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 www.careerpress.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Alain, Patrick. The leader phrase book : 3,000+ powerful phrases that put you in command / by Patrick Alain. p. cm.
Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60163-200-5 -- ISBN 978-1-60163-626-3 (ebook) 1. Business communication. 2. Leadership. 3.
Conversation. I. Title. HF5718.A37 2012 658.452--dc23 2011036950 To the leaders of the world.
Acknowledgments
The most special thanks belong to my wife, Zaina, for her selfless love, her support, and her company during the preparation of this unique text. Thank you also to my little daughter, Michle, with whom I have shared so many special moments. Michle, you are drop-dead gorgeous and you rock my world! You initiated me into fatherhood and you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I would like to thank Tom Carroll and Michelle Lara, who were always on call when I needed them. I am grateful for their guidance. A very big acknowledgement goes to my developmental editor, Kirsten Dalley, for making the editing phase of this book so enjoyable, and for her tireless efforts on this projects behalf. I would like to thank Lina and Bassam, both of whom have helped me get to this point. No words should be wasted, and thanks to you, dear readers, hopefully mine have not been.
Contents
Part 1
General Conversation Part 2
At Work Part 3
Conflicts and Anger Part 4
Diplomacy Part 5
Negotiation Part 6
Problem Solving Part 7
Courtesy Part 8
Machiavellian Techniques
Preface
Being thrust into an unpredictable situation can be extremely difficult, and this is doubly true when you are a leader.
Contents
Part 1
General Conversation Part 2
At Work Part 3
Conflicts and Anger Part 4
Diplomacy Part 5
Negotiation Part 6
Problem Solving Part 7
Courtesy Part 8
Machiavellian Techniques
Preface
Being thrust into an unpredictable situation can be extremely difficult, and this is doubly true when you are a leader.
Regardless of whether you are an executive, a manager, a coach, a lawyer, a doctor, a politician, a salesperson, a diplomat, a den mother, or the head of a nation, you are expected to be able to take charge, influence the situation, settle the score, and make things better. This isnt always easy, and it can be especially stressful if you are fumbling for words and/or lacking in nuance in your communications. The fact that you reached for this book means that you probably arent satisfied with the status quo. You know you can do better, but you need the magic phrases to help get you there. And because you are busy, you need a quick and easy guide to help you shine, both inside and outside of the office. This book enumerates specific responses that have helped leaders and decision-makers like you shine.
There is no other book out there like it. My goal in writing this book was to share these talking points so that you can develop a trustworthy, convincing leadership presence in any situation that life throws at you. In the past, rising executives used to spend time at seminars and conferences to gain the knowledge they needed to advance in their fields. The pace of business today has rendered this strategy largely out of date. The higher you move up the chain of command, the more readily you will need to be able to summon powerful and effective words and phrasesto motivate, to inspire, to command. Ideally they should become second nature, a part of your everyday routine.
To help you do that, this book is organized into seven easy-to-digest sections, plus one bonus section at the end. The fact is no matter how successful you are, chances are your speaking (and listening) skills could use some polishing and finetuning. This invaluable tool will enhance your command of the English language and allow your confidence and leadership skills to shine through. I can promise a rewarding experience, both personally and professionally, as you learn to speak boldly, persuasively, and, perhaps most of all, appropriately in any situation. Let our journey to powerful communications begin!
How to Use This Book
This book was designed with flexibility in mind. You can read it all the way through to get a general overview of the topic, or you can work on one particular situation or aspect of communication that you find the most challenging or relevant.
For example, you may feel very comfortable addressing the public in challenging times, but not as relaxed handling conflicts with others. Use the Contents and the Index to help you find the area that is most applicable to your situation. Read all the sample phrases and familiarize yourself with the ones that seem the most natural or comfortable for you. Then, practice them until they flow naturally from your mouth. When the time comes, youll have no trouble summoning them and using them with confidence and aplomb. If you like, you can also add your own catch phrases in the margins; after all, everyone says things slightly differently.
Remember that meaning is both expressed in and influenced by tone, body language, and timing (context). Thus, a humorous phrase that would be effective and appropriate in one setting could be construed as hostile and inappropriate in another, depending on how it is said, to whom you are speaking, and so on. So even though these phrases are ready-to-use in a certain sense, it is not a one-size-fits-all scenario. Use good judgment and let context be your guide. This is particularly important when you are considering using humor as a rhetorical device. Humor can sometimes come across as flip or dismissive, and not everyone will get your style.
As always, nuance is required. The visual accompanying each situation will help you anchor each order of magnitude in your mind, which will serve as a valuable mnemonic device down the road. For example, in the sample on page 17, the continuum indicator goes from Conciliatory to Argumentative. All of the phrases are sorted incrementally in terms of this scale. If you want to build bridges and smooth things over, learn and use the phrases toward the top. If you want to eliminate or ignore the niceties and cut to the chase, use the phrases toward the bottom.
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