The Articulate Executive: Learn to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader [Paperback]

Granville N. Toogood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1996

Granville N. Toogood is a top executive communications expert, as well as an established speaker, trainer, and writer. Before starting his own company in 1982, Mr. Toogood was a television reporter and network news producer for NBC and ABC. Today he works with a long list of blue-chip clients and has served as a consultant to 38 of the Fortune 50 CEOs, as well as thousands of senior-level executives, elected officials, and diplomats throughout the world. This book is based on his acclaimed corporate workshops in executive communications. Mr. Toogood resides in Darien, Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Praise for The Articulate Executive:

"... makes the capable business person, more capable, more successful and definitely more self confident..."
­­Martha Stewart.

"In the age of communications, an effective must be an articulate executive­­and The Articulate Executive is an indispensable tool for executive success."­­Zbigniew Brzezinki

"The Articulate Exeuctive should be required reading in every board room, class room and living room in the country."­­David Stockman, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget; currently a General Partner, The blackstone Group

"Probably the best book on the subject I've ever read. Toogood is a real expert, and the advice he gives is indispensable."­­Charles Lee, CEO, GTE Corp

"... a must read for anyone interested in public speaking. Toogood's tips on how to communicate more effectively are terrific­­and they work."­­Jack Llewelyn, CEO, Ocean Spray Cranberries

"Toogood's book is a gold mine for anyone who has to speak."­­William Mayer, former CEO, CS First Boston

About the Author

Granville N. Toogood is a top executive communications expert, as well as an established speaker, trainer, and writer. Before starting his own company in 1982, he was a television reporter and network news producer for NBC and ABC. Today he works with a long list of blue-chip clients and has served as a consultant to 38 of the Fortune 50 CEOs, as well as thousands of senior-level executives, elected officials, and diplomats throughout the world. This book is based on his acclaimed corporate workshops in executive communications. Mr. Toogood resides in Darien, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070653380
• ISBN-13: 978-0070653382
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #252,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good source material and some thought-provoking ideas, but dated, February 11, 2006

By 

John H. Kaplan "johnkaplantech" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Articulate Executive: Learn to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader (Paperback)

This book is exclusively about giving presentations and public speaking. I was mislead by the title, thinking it would be about communication in general for executives. The author lost a fair amount of his credibility with me at the beginning of chapter 2 when he listed his 4 exemplary executives, including John Scully who "built Apple into a world power that challenged IBM." Scully? Dude, check your facts. This book was written in '95 before the great divide of the high tech revolution, and there are plenty of dated ideas, including quaint advice on how to dress (Alan Flusser needn't worry about his job) and a lot of obviously pre-Powerpoint info about slides and overhead projectors. Could use an updated edition.

All-in-all, it's pretty good, but not great. It presents some thought-provoking ideas, especially about how to present with slides but keep the focus of the presentation on you, not the slides. However, there is a fair amount of trite junk to wade through to get to the valuable ideas. Good as source material if you pick and choose ideas, but definitely not the final authority on how to do presentations.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Articulation: A Key to Making Things Happen, November 19, 2002

By 

Craig L. Howe "The Pointed Pundit" (Darien, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Articulate Executive: Learn to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader (Hardcover)

The key to success, I believe lies in effective personal communication.

In a world that increasingly relies on technology to respond to other human beings, a personal response results in results - deals are made; red tape is cut; decisions are made. Yet we live in a world where the ability to communicate personally with each other seems to be on the decline.

Granville Toogood has written one of the best books on the subject I have ever read. The Articulate Executive should be required reading for every business student, project manager, teacher and politician. By taking the time to adhere to his simple P. O. W. E. R. formula, leaders would see their effectiveness soar.

P. Power - Start Strong.
O. One Theme.
W. Windows to illustrate your theme.
E. Ear - Your presentation should be conversational.
R. Retention - End your presentation with a call to action.

If you plan to be successful, then public speaking is something you cannot avoid. If you plan to speak, do your audience a favor and spend some time with this book. Your career and your audience will be grateful.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Business Speechcraft Made Easy, May 15, 2000

By 

John Lesko (Arlington, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Articulate Executive: Learn to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader (Paperback)

The Articulate Executive is the best reference I've seen on the art of public speaking. I use this text as the principal reference for a corporate university course called "Business Speechcraft." Many fellow Toastmasters have referred this book to me. You can enthusiastically place my name along side theirs as a fan of Mr. Toogood. His advise for speakers regarding the use of view-graphs and overheads is right on the mark. His technique for organizing a speech ... the POWER formula ... will help your presentations successfully blast off and land in the collective memories of your audience. This is a "must read" book and a "best value purchase" for anyone who wants to become a leader in their field.