Honestly and accurately expressing what you’re thinking or feeling is a crucial ability both in your personal and professional life. Interpersonal communication is the foundation of all relationships and is one of the keys to success in business. But there’s more to communicating effectively than simply verbalizing what you’re thinking. Sometimes conversations involve difficult or sensitive topics. In business, your aim is often to persuade other people to adopt your recommendation. The good news is there are many books that offer expert and insightful advice for enhancing your communication skills. Here is a list of 12 books from Success Magazine that can help you in a variety of ways.
Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo. TED talks have become famous for offering quick and persuasive presentations on a wide range of subjects (although the original acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, their subject matter has proliferated). In this book Carmine Gallo dissects what the essence of a great presentation is by examining a variety of TED talks.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work, Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brene Brown. Leadership isn’t about having all the right answers. It’s about staying curious and asking the right questions. By studying leaders in all sizes of organizations, Brene Brown delves into the process of cultivating courage and instilling it within an organization by asking the right questions.
Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot by Matt Abrahams. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of planning what you’re going to say. You are, to use Matt Abrahams’ phrase, put on the spot. His book provides a road map for managing anxiety when you’re suddenly asked to speak, and then reading the mood of the room and responding accordingly.
Surrounded By Idiots by Thomas Erikson. Sometimes people just seem to be communicating on totally different wavelengths. Whether that happens in your personal or professional life the results can be disastrous. Thomas Erikson dedicated himself to understanding this common phenomenon and discovered it’s often because different types of personalities simply have different styles of communication. His book reveals how to spot personality types and adjust the way you communicate accordingly.
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Originally published in 1936, Dale Carnegie’s groundbreaking book is still wildly popular. He wrote his masterpiece before there was a genre of motivational books and it contains timeless advice that is as relevant today as always.
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler and Kerry Patterson. Communicating with someone who does not share your opinion or belief can be difficult, especially when you’re dealing with an emotionally charged subject. The authors deal with the subject artfully, helping you build the skills to prepare for a high-stakes conversation by getting past the negativity and entering powerful dialogues.
Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion by George J. Thompson. In the same way that judo teaches a person to use another person’s strength against them, George J. Thompson shows how listening with empathy can help you defuse confrontations and get another person to cooperate.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life — Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD. Communication consists of much more than verbal communication. Marshall B. Rosenberg explores how several principles — from having compassion to sharing power with others — helps people build connections and enhance relationships.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. In our fast-paced world there’s no shortage of examples of ideas that catch on and spread rapidly. Chip and Dan Heath go beyond examining winning ideas — they identify what makes them stick and offer rules to help you get your own message to stick.
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury. The need to negotiate in business is a virtual given. Roger Fisher and William Ury accept this fact and offer a step-by-step strategy for coming to a mutually satisfying agreement while avoiding conflict.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Daniel Kahneman identifies two types of thinking: System 1, fast, intuitive and emotional; and System 2, slower, deliberative and logical. Both Systems are necessary and valuable when used in the right circumstances. His classic bestseller reveals when and how to use each appropriately.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t by Malcolm Gladwell. Using a technique drawn from his podcast, Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell revisits famous events in history — from the lies of Bernie Madoff to the suicide of Sylvia Plath — and examines why our techniques for understanding strangers often leads to disastrous results. The lessons learned are a guide for our troubled times.