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formed the meeting from merely exchang- ENGAGE ENERGETICALLY: Emotional our audience. The philosopher Ludwig

ing inancial and strategic information, to engagement inspires energetic com- Wittgenstein described this power suc-
an opportunity for building relationships. mitment. The post-meeting dinner
cinctly, “The limits of my language are the

Why does this matter? Warren Bufett conversation with investors showed they limits of my world.”
once said that inding “the right word”
had listened to Scott’s and Ken’s remarks What can we expect from authentic

is everything. Until he did this, he could with more than their ears; they had also communication?
not get his thinking clear—and clarity is listened from their minds, hearts, skin, Several weeks after this investor confer-

essential to build trusting relationships. and from each cell in their bodies. Their ence, one of the two CEOs spoke at another
They are the foundation for growing sus-
committed listening arose from these conference attended by some investors

tainable, wealth-creating businesses.
speakers’ commitments to inding the from the earlier meeting. He reported on
2right words, inviting elephants into the company sales, proits, strategic initiatives,

INVITE IN THE ELEPHANTS: Make a difer- room, speaking from authentic purpose and industry regulations. He also com-
ence by inviting the elephants into and engaging energetically.
mented on how he was being accountable to

the “room” of your communication.
his investors. He told them about an inves-
Scott did this by describing his client’s Words have power. They inluence our tor-retiree with meat-loaf-sized hands.

hands, the “size of meat loaves.” This breathing, the very source of our life.
image restored the power relationship Saying the words “thank you” causes us to
L.J. Rittenhouse is CEO of Rittenhouse Rankings Inc., a communications
between the CEOs as managers of the exhale slightly. Our bodies move closer to company that shows executives how to exploit the risk-mitigating and

company and their shareholder bosses, the person we are thanking. When we say, wealth-creating advantages of corporate candor. Rittenhouse has been
including those who need company proits “I appreciate you,” we inhale and move featured on CNN, in The Wall Street Journal, and selected as one of the

to support their retirement savings. To- slightly away from our listener. Words Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior in 2013. War-
day, the words “iduciary responsibility” relect our inner truths and emotions. ren Buffett recommended her bestseller, Investing Between the Lines, in

are too often absent in corporate gover- They will evoke emotional responses in
his 2013 shareholder letter. For more info, visit RittenhouseRankings.com.
nance reporting. They have been replaced

by words like “compliance regulations,”
“executive compensation committees,”

and other bromides intended to put non-
CEOs to sleep. This is why the audience
HELPING YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS

was galvanized by Scott’s story.
– IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION –
3IS OUR BUSINESS!

SPEAK FROM YOUR AUTHENTIC PURPOSE:
Look at your thumbprint: No one

in a world of 7.2 billion people has

a thumbprint like yours—it makes you WE LOOK AT YOUR BUSINESS FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
unique. Now consider that you share 95 WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.

percent of your genetic code with a mouse. WE PROVIDE THE STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU GET THERE.
Excellence, integrity, innovation and personalized service
Ask, “What am I doing to diferentiate my- has been our foundation for over 80 years.

self from mice?” How am I using my unique
gifts? Ask your friends and colleagues to ■
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name them. The ones that passionately ■ Hamilton, NJ 08690
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■ John W. Lutz, CPA Partner
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Computer Consulting
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Does the work you do lie somewhere ■ Litigation Support Services
■ 680 Middletown Blvd.
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lweber@klatzkin.com
Scott and Ken had a choice. They could

have engaged in the predictable investor
meeting dance of giving and questioning

information. Instead, they spoke from a

calling—to passionately speak truth to
power. This choice revealed their unique

thumbprints.

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