Gabrielle Dolan - Real Communication: How to Be You and Lead True

Read this book cover to cover ... and loved it! A great read about people keeping it real, telling it how it is, with down to earth tips on leadership, communicating with impact and building and keeping trust. It starts with being true to yourself and sharing, showing and keeping it real with others. Thanks Gabrielle for the stories, the reminders and the advice! Needed today more than ever.

Christine Corbett, former acting CEO and Chief Customer Officer of Australia Post

Authenticity is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Gabrielle is the first leadership expert I've met who lives it. Real messages, delivered with truth in a way that anyone can access.

Matt Church, Author, Speaker and Founder Thought Leaders

I have often reflected on the many presentations I have sat through and when I have been on the edge of my seat or when I have been trying desperately to stay awake. And what was the difference? Well it was rarely the content but nearly always the way it was delivered. Real Communication is one of those must read' books for anyone who is serious about leadership as it is packed with practical tips and real-life examples of how to lead and communicate in a more effective and authentic way.

Jamie McPhee, CEO ME Bank

Real Communication: How to be you and lead true is in equal parts entertaining as it is instructional. It is teeming with tips, tools and lively anecdotes from the battle of Actium to the battle for same sex marriage, highlighting the importance of jargon free communication and authentic self.

In a world of fake media riddled with message obfuscation, Ral, with the wisdom of an expert who has helped leaders become outstanding communicators, tells it like it is and makes simple the art of Real Communication.

I highly recommend Real Communication both for the tools, tips and practical insights it provides as well as for the simple yet profound reminder that if you bring self-awareness and authenticity into each interaction, you end up doing a service not only for yourself but also for those you interact with. Here's to Real Communication and bring on the f-bomb!

Dorothy Hisgrove, Partner and Chief People Officer PwC

The irrepressible and talented Gabrielle Dolan has done it again. Real Communication is full of wonderful stories and useful tips, all in the service of enabling people wherever they sit to be more effective in getting their message heard and absorbed, and in exercising leadership on behalf of whatever they care deeply about.

Marty Linsky, Faculty Harvard Kennedy School

The field of leadership has evolved a great deal since the turn of the century. People are now wanting to lead in a way that is more authentic and bring their entire selves to work. With pressing concerns for diversity and inclusion, Real Communication: How to Be You and Lead True provides essential insights for twenty first century leaders. It's a refreshing and necessary view of where leadership is headed.

Frederique Covington, Senior Vice President Marketing Asia Pacific, VISA

In our fast changing world, our customers and employees' expectations have evolved faster than ever before. Jargon, command and control leadership just doesn't work anymore, especially for the younger generations. People are looking for and will respond to genuine and authentic leadership they can trust.

This book will make you completely rethink how you lead, communicate and behave to be a more inclusive leader and possibly reassess your own values to be successful in the future, professionally and personally.

Michael Ebeid AM, Group Executive, Enterprise at Telstra

Having the courage to be you when communicating takes lots of skill and practice and Gabrielle's insights and simple clear approach allows the reader to go on their own learning journey.

As someone who genuinely cares for people, it is so important to put your audience at the centre of your communication style, approach and delivery and Gabrielle shows you how to do this in a very transparent and genuine way.

Most organisations talk about the need to grow and innovate and to do this leaders need to create an environment of trust, inclusion and engagement. At the heart of this is the ability to communicate in a simple, compelling and genuine way free of jargon and acronyms and with the right emotion to connect with the people of the organisation to deliver their best every single day. Gabrielle's book is your own co-pilot, as it is full of ideas to support you on your journey.

Kate Mason, Group Director, People & Culture, Coca-Cola Amatil

First published in 2019 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064

Office also in Melbourne

John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2019

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by Wiley

Author photo by Oli Sansom

Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

I am one of eight children. My littlest sister could never pronounce Gabrielle', so she called me Ral' instead and the name has since stuck.

It was probably being one of so many that first helped me realise the power of storytelling. It was a great way to gain some attention from my parents.

During my 20s, storytelling's power was reinforced while sitting in pubs with my mates. We would spend the night sharing stories, fuelled by alcohol and '80s music which was (and still is) a magical combination.

This obsession with storytelling (not '80s music okay, maybe a little) continued into adult life and my career in a senior leadership role at National Australia Bank. It was here that I realised stories could be used for good, and for business and, more importantly, for the good of the business!

Since that time, I have made it my mission to teach others how to share stories in business to communicate more effectively and authentically. I've worked with thousands of high-profile leaders and companies from around the world to help them get real with their communications. These companies have included Amazon, Shell, Caltex, Ericsson, Accenture, EY, VISA, Uber and International Committee Red Cross (to name-drop a few).