Talk, Inc. : How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power Their Organizations

Abstract

How can leaders make their big or growing companies feel small again? How can they recapture the "magic"--the tight strategic alignment, the high level of employee engagement--that drove and animated their organization when it was a start-up? As more and more executives have discovered in recent years, the answer to this conundrum lies in the power of conversation. In "Talk, Inc.," Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind show how trusted and effective leaders are adapting the principles of face-to-face conversation in order to pursue a new form of organizational conversation. They explore the promise of conversation-powered leadership—from the time-tested practice of talking straight (and listening well) to the thoughtful adoption of social media technology. And they offer guidance on how to balance the benefits of open-ended talk with the realities of strategic execution. Drawing on the experience of leaders at diverse companies from around the world, "Talk, Inc." offers provocative insights and user-friendly tips on how to make organizational culture more intimate, more interactive, more inclusive, and more intentional—in short, more conversational.

Keywords

Leadership; Interpersonal Communication; Organizational Culture; Social and Collaborative Networks; Spoken Communication

Citation

Groysberg, Boris, and Michael Slind. Talk, Inc. How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power Their Organizations. Harvard Business Review Press, 2012.