Charles Duhigg on the power of "Supercommunicators"
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Credit: Random House
The ability to communicate is what limits or enhances one's career — and it's a skill that everyone can learn.
Why it matters: Whether you're a CIA agent, surgeon, astronaut or TV producer, you can't be effective at your job if you can't communicate, writes Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg in his new book, "Supercommunicators."
What they're saying: "Communications is the thing that makes success happen," Duhigg told Axios.
- "If you think about why people end up in the C-suite, a huge part of it is their ability to communicate. ... It's usually because [they] can communicate and convince others to join them, or to see a vision for what they hope to create."
Zoom in: Supercommunicators can bring together audiences with different interests by understanding what kind of conversation they need to have — an emotional one or a practical one.
- "The top suggestion I would give a leader is learn to ask questions," says Duhigg. "And when you hear something authentic, respond with your own authenticity — because that's how you will connect with other people, no matter what your business."
What to watch: AI won't take away our need to connect, but it could help leaders better understand how to connect with particular audiences.
- We are in the golden age of understanding the science of communications, and technology — like AI — could enhance that, adds Duhigg.
Go deeper … check out "Supercommunicators" and subscribe to Axios Communicators.
