Better Conversations Every Day?: 4 Core Skills That Will Change the Way You Lead and Live Your Life

Based on our experience in working with thousands of leaders, we know that effective communication, or simply, having better conversations every day is an essential leadership skill. Done the right way, effective communication skills can better connect you to people in productive ways, enable you to share your ideas more effectively, improve collaboration on teams, influence decisions, and get work done with clarity and ease. Done ineffectively, poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and confusion at best, and at their worst, can break down critical relationships.

Unfortunately, there's no simple trick for getting better at communication; it takes time, energy, intentionality, consistency, and practice. But there are techniques, many of which come from coaching, that you can use to improve the quality of your conversations, make them more productive, and maybe even more enjoyable too. Better Conversations Every Day provides practical tips, tricks, and concepts that anyone can use to communicate better, connect more deeply, build trust, and be more satisfied-inside and outside of work.

Maggie Sass, PhD is an organizational psychologist and executive coach working at the convergence of data, emotional intelligence, and leadership development. She is passionate about the power of coaching to transform individuals' lives and the fabric of team and organizational culture.As an executive leader of applied research and development at TalentSmartEQ and a former Coaching Solutions Partner at the Center for Creative Leadership, Maggie draws on her rich academic background and breadth of experience in coaching but also assessment and evaluation to translate research into practical, scalable solutions for clients. She has trained and coached leaders and their teams worldwide focusing on sustainable behavior change and real business impact. Maggie is an adjunct professor of coaching and mentoring at the California School of Professional Psychology and lives in San Diego, CA.

Andre Keil brings more than 15 years of experience as an executive coach in the leadership-consulting space. His focus is helping Fortune 500 leaders respond better to complex, continuously changing business environments so they can become more effective, resilient individuals in both their professional and personal lives. Andre brings a unique understanding of the value of coaching both as a practitioner and as a former leader of the Center for Creative Leadership's coaching practice. Andre is experienced at designing and implementing coaching programs and creating content that moves the needle for program participants, having worked with countless organizations all over the globe to create cultures of trust and transparency. Andre is a founding member of the International Coach Federation's Training Executive Board and resides in North Carolina.