Speak Like a CEO by Oliver Aust: Become a Top 1% Communicator
Join 150,000+ leaders receiving weekly tips via email & social.
Share
Make toxic office politics history
Published about 6 hours ago • 3 min read
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:
How to Fix a Broken Hierarchy
On the Show: Become an Elite Business Storyteller
Book Recommendation: Ultraproductive
Why Hierarchies Go Wrong – And How to Fix Them
Hi Reader,
Bad bosses. Toxic politics. Colleagues elbowing each other for the next promotion.
Hierarchy has a bad reputation, and often for good reason.
Stanford professor Nir Halevy estimates that one in four employees is currently working in a broken hierarchy.
So the obvious answer is to flatten it, right? Fewer layers, more freedom.
But flat doesn't automatically mean fast. "In environments where you don't have one single boss, everyone becomes your boss."
Nir Halevy is Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University and author of Level Up – Why Hierarchies Are Broken and How to Fix Them (out this month – if you lead people, get your copy).
So the question isn't whether you have a hierarchy but whether yours works.
How to spot a broken hierarchy
Nir found that hierarchies break in three predictable ways that all feed each other. They become:
Ultra competitive. Your peers are punching you from all sides. Sometimes quietly, sometimes in your face.
Unjust. You deserved the promotion, but the boss's pet employee got it.
Unstable. People leave, and retention becomes a problem. Everyone worries that someone is after their job.
Interestingly, people at the top are often the last to notice. From where they sit, everything runs smoothly.
Give your hierarchy CPR
Nir uses a medical model as treatment: CPR.
C is for Common value. A good hierarchy rests on values people share and creates value for everyone. Nir recommends promoting not only on merit but also on what he calls virtuocracy: rewarding the people who embody the character you want your organization to have.
P is for Pluralism. There has to be more than one way to contribute, advance and lead. Surprisingly, some of the most rigid-looking organizations do this best.
R is for Relatedness. Good hierarchies pull people closer together instead of turning them against each other. This is where communication comes in: gratitude, empathy, shared stories and humor.
The reason why most leadership communication fails is this:
We're emotional beings who rationalise. Not rational beings with emotions. When leaders start with facts, logic and numbers, people nod. Then nothing happens.
Because data talk to the logical brain. But that's not where decisions get made.
As the late Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman said: "No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story."
Which means most leaders are getting communication backwards every single day. They work against the human brain.
Instead of unleashing a logic tsunami that gets ignored, you want to work with the human brain. It’s the most consequential shift you will ever make in your leadership communications.
In this week’s video, I give you the fastest way to become an elite business storyteller. It’s worth 13 minutes of your time, promise.
Five years - that’s how long my friend Dr Christian Poensgen has worked on Ultraproductive together with Eric Partaker. Ten if you count his PhD. And I’m glad that he did.
Judging by the title, you may think it’s a “hustle harder”, squeeze the orange kind of book. On the contrary. It’s a holistic operating system to achieve more while being fully rested and less stressed. It’s thoughtful, useful and meaningful. Already one of my books of 2026.
If you ever feel overwhelmed, tired or just want to get more done without sacrificing your life, I’d suggest pre-order the book now.
If you are quick, you’ll also get access to a bonus package that includes an online program with Eric and Christian to help you become Ultraproductive in 5 weeks with live masterclasses and coaching sessions.
Christian is my guest on Speak Like a CEO next week to give us a sneak preview Masterclass on ultraproductivity.
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: How to Receive Feedback Without Getting Defensive On the Show: Why “Keeping Everyone Informed” Doesn’t Work Book Recommendation: How to Fix a Broken Hierarchy How to Receive Feedback Without Getting Defensive "I know feedback is crucial if I want to grow as a leader. But I find it hard to hear. What can I do about it?" Someone asked me this at an event this week. I can't overstate how important it is not just to accept...
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: Your audience ignores 99.99955% of what you say On the Show: The Best Speech Ever Think Fast, Talk Smart Your Audience Ignores 99.99955% of What You Say Hi Reader, This very second, your brain is taking in 11 million bits of information. That's like reading three books. Consciously, though? You process about 50 bits. Fifty, out of eleven million. So you're aware of roughly 0.00045% of everything reaching you. The figures come...
This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication: Your 10 Most Pressing Questions, Answered On the Show: Steal the Guide I've Given 300+ CEOs Your 10 Most Pressing Questions, Answered Hi Reader, Thanks so much for sending me your most pressing questions following last week’s email. Please keep them coming! Let me answer ten that I know many of you have: 1/ What do you think about the 10,000 hour rule when it comes to speaking? How can I create moments or environments to hit...