Leadership | Say It Well – Terry Szuplat

Hi All,

I picked up Say It Well after seeing it referenced in several leadership circles. Written by Obama's speechwriter, I expected political messaging tactics, but Szuplat delivers something much more valuable: a systematic breakdown of why some leaders can walk into any room and instantly command attention while others with stronger credentials somehow fall flat.

Having worked under the most intense communication scrutiny imaginable, Szuplat reveals exactly how world-class communicators make it look effortless.

What it's about: Say It Well draws from Terry Szuplat's experience as a speechwriter for President Obama to reveal the art of authentic, persuasive communication. The book breaks down how to craft messages that connect emotionally while maintaining credibility, showing how the best communicators combine storytelling, empathy, and strategic thinking. Szuplat demonstrates that powerful communication isn't about manipulation—it's about finding genuine connection points between your message and your audience's values and experiences.

Executive Summary for Busy People: Effective communication requires both technical skill and emotional intelligence. The book reveals Obama's approach: lead with shared values, use concrete stories over abstract concepts, and always consider what your audience needs to hear, not just what you want to say. Great communicators don't just inform—they inspire action through authentic connection.

The Strategic Communication Framework

Here's the core insight: powerful communication isn't about manipulation or polished rhetoric. It's about systematically identifying genuine connection points between your message and your audience's priorities.

The framework that emerged from years of high-stakes communication: lead with shared values, use concrete narratives over abstract concepts, and consistently prioritize what your audience needs to understand, not just what you want to communicate.

This approach sounds straightforward, but most senior leaders do precisely the opposite.

Evidence-Based Communication Principles

• Narrative vs. Data: Research demonstrates people retain 65% of information delivered through narrative versus 5% through statistics alone. Despite this, most executive presentations lead with data and struggle with stakeholder engagement.
• Cognitive Processing Speed: The brain processes emotional content 5x faster than analytical information. Strategic leaders understand this asymmetry and structure communications accordingly.
• Trust Formation: Audiences form trust judgments within 7 seconds of initial contact. This narrow window determines receptivity to everything that follows.
• Retention Reality: Without emotional connection, people forget 90% of communicated information within 30 days. Logical argumentation alone lacks the staying power needed for sustained behavioral change.

Implementation Strategies

• Strategic Vulnerability: Share relevant challenges or learning experiences early to establish credibility before presenting solutions. This approach builds trust through authenticity while maintaining professional authority.
• Concrete Specification: Transform abstract concepts into specific, visualizable scenarios. This technique leverages cognitive processing strengths and improves message retention.
• Value-Based Positioning: Establish shared principles before introducing potentially challenging initiatives. This foundation creates receptivity for more complex discussions.
• Triadic Structure: Organize key messages in groups of three for optimal cognitive processing and retention. Research consistently validates this approach across communication contexts.

Practical Applications

Instead of "We need to optimize our healthcare benefits strategy," consider "Our employees shouldn't face impossible choices between medical care and financial security." Same strategic objective, fundamentally different stakeholder engagement.

Rather than immediately presenting solutions, open with stakeholder acknowledgment: "I recognize the complexity you're navigating with this initiative..." This approach validates concerns before requesting consideration of new approaches.

Replace excessive polish with strategic authenticity: "We're still refining aspects of this approach, but here's what our analysis indicates..." Controlled transparency creates connection without undermining authority.

Why Technical Excellence Alone Falls Short

Pure technique without empathy registers as performative and creates stakeholder resistance. Audiences intuitively distinguish between communications designed to manipulate versus those seeking genuine connection.

The most effective senior communicators integrate structural excellence—clear logic, compelling evidence—with sophisticated understanding of stakeholder concerns, motivations, and decision-making frameworks.

Technical competence ensures messages are heard. Empathetic delivery ensures they're believed and acted upon.

Strategic Value for Senior Leadership

This book demonstrates that exceptional political communication principles translate directly to high-stakes business contexts. Whether driving organizational transformation, securing stakeholder buy-in for complex initiatives, or ensuring critical communications achieve intended outcomes, these frameworks deliver measurable results.

Szuplat proves that world-class communication isn't innate talent—it's a systematic competency with learnable techniques that can be developed and refined.

Executive Applications

For senior leaders whose influence depends on communication effectiveness, this book provides essential frameworks. The distinction between leaders who inspire action versus those who merely convey information often comes down to these specific competencies.

The key insight: the most influential leaders don't rely on position or credentials alone. They understand that communication effectiveness requires connecting with stakeholder priorities before advancing organizational objectives.

Having applied these principles across board presentations, team alignments, and stakeholder negotiations, the impact is measurable. Audiences engage more actively, retain key messages longer, and follow through on commitments more consistently.

The framework transforms communication from information transfer to strategic influence—a critical distinction for senior leadership effectiveness.