Connect with Yourself: You must know who you are and have confidence in yourself if you desire to connect with others.
Communicate with Openness and Sincerity: Legendary NFL coach Bill Walsh said, "Nothing is more effective than sincere accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment."
Know Your Audience: Learn people's names, find out about their histories, ask about their dreams. Speak to what they care about.
Live Your Message: Practice what you preach. That's where credibility comes from.
Go to Where They Are: I dislike any kind of barrier to communication. I adapt to others; I don't expect them to adapt to me.
Focus on Them, Not Yourself: The number one problem of inexperience speakers and ineffective leaders is that they focus on themselves.
Off Direction and Hope: French general Napoleon Bonaparte said, "Leaders are dealers in hope."
From "Go For Gold" by John Maxwell
