This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:

My 10-Second Mental Model for Crucial Conversations
On the Show: Why Leaders Feel Surrounded By Idiots
Podcast Appearance: The Hidden Psychology of Communication

*** If you want to work with me to become a top 1% communicator, you can now join the waitlist for the next cohort of the Speak Like a CEO Academy. ***

My 10-Second Mental Model for Crucial Conversations

Our careers – and our lives – are built one conversation at a time.

A job offer. A deal. A difficult decision with a colleague or co-founder. Often, everything comes down to a single conversation.

Yet many leaders walk into high-stakes conversations unprepared. They improvise, the conversation goes off track and the relationship suffers.

If you cannot deliver information in an organized way, it becomes difficult to earn respect professionally. Clarity is credibility.

The good news: preparing for a conversation doesn’t take long. In fact, 10 seconds of preparation can save 10 minutes of conversation – and prevent misunderstandings that might otherwise linger for weeks.

Before any important conversation, I think through three elements:

Character, Context, Content.

1/ Character – How do I want to show up?

Every conversation begins with you. Ask:

What energy do I want to bring?
Do I show up as leader, coach, or friend?
How assertive do I need to be?

The best communicators show up calm, clear and curious.

2/ Context – What situation am I in?

Context before content. Put yourself in the shoes of the other person:

What matters to them right now?
What outcome are they hoping for?
Do they want to be helped, heard or hugged?

When you understand the context, you can frame your message so the other person actually hears it.

3/ Content – What will I say?

Structure helps to organize your thinking before you speak. I often sketch the message using a simple framework like:

What – So what – Now what
Goal – Problem – Solution
Vision – Commitment – Execution

I also spend a moment anticipating the conversation. What questions might come up? What objections could I hear? Where might the other person push back?

And just as important: what will I not say? Where are my red lines?

Can you really do this in 10 seconds in your head? Yes, with some practice, you can.

Here's my thought process before I go into an important conversation:

“I want to show up as an advisor (Character), because John is trying to get funding for his startup, and is under a lot of time pressure (Conext).

I've seen this pitch deck and know how to improve it. I will open the conversation with the Goal-Problem-Solution framework (Content):

You want to close the funding round. The issue is that you're not seeing enough traction quickly enough. I think we can solve this by making your pitch deck stand out more.”

When a conversation really matters, a few seconds of preparation go a very long way.

*** If this resonates, I have a free webinar coming up in April on “How to Lead Difficult Conversations with Confidence” – sign up here. ***

ON THE SHOW

Why Leaders Feel Surrounded By Idiots (The Four Personality Types)

I do a weekly show to help you become a top 1% communicator. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Youtube.

My guest this week is Thomas Erikson, the author of Surrounded by Idiots, and many other books about why people behave the way they do.

His books have sold 12 million copies worldwide for good reason. Just a few minutes into our conversation, I ask him about my personality type – and he nails it.

We had never met before. But he explained exactly how I think, how I communicate, and what I avoid.

Which raises a question we should all ask ourselves: If someone can read people that quickly … What are we missing about the way we communicate?

You’ll learn why so many leaders feel like they’re surrounded by idiots — and how understanding just four personality types can transform the way you communicate.

To me, this is crucial as the leaders who get the best results are the ones who know how to speak so every personality in the room understands them.

Watch and listen to the full episode here:

PODCAST APPEARANCE

The Hidden Psychology of Communication

This week I'm also a guest on Mo Bunnell's podcast Real Relationships, Real Revenue this week. Together, we explore the psychology behind powerful messaging.

I share the core principles behind my Message Machine framework, including how clarity beats complexity, why connection matters more than perfection, and how leaders can frame conversations in ways that inspire action instead of resistance.

We also talk about the role fear plays in decision-making, how the best communicators balance connection and authority in conversations, how trust can be built faster than most people think, and my fast framework for preparing speeches or presentations that actually move people to action.

Watch and listen on:

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver