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Show Notes
Brief: Make a Bigger Impact by Saying Less (Joseph McCormack)
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394324324?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Brief%3A-Make-a-Bigger-Impact-by-Saying-Less-Joseph-McCormack.html
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Brief+Make+a+Bigger+Impact+by+Saying+Less+Joseph+McCormack+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/1394324324/
#brevity #businesscommunication #leadershipmessaging #presentationskills #meetingeffectiveness #emailwriting #clarity #executivecommunication #Brief
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, Brevity as a leadership advantage, not a personality trait, A core theme of the book is that being brief is a learnable discipline rather than a talent reserved for naturally concise people. McCormack positions brevity as a leadership advantage because leaders are constantly asking others to align, decide, and execute. When messages are long, unfocused, or packed with secondary details, audiences work harder to interpret what matters and may disengage or make the wrong call. The book emphasizes that brevity is not about being abrupt or shallow. Instead, it is about being intentional: choosing the few points that truly support your purpose and removing everything that dilutes them. This reframing matters because it turns communication into a strategic tool. You can use brevity to increase credibility, demonstrate preparation, and signal respect for the listener’s time. The approach also addresses a common fear: that shorter messages reduce nuance. McCormack argues the opposite, that clarity makes nuance easier to discuss because everyone shares the same main point first. In practice, this topic helps readers see brevity as a professional standard, especially in roles where influence depends on attention, trust, and momentum.
Secondly, Start with purpose and audience to decide what to keep, McCormack stresses that concise communication begins before you write or speak, by clarifying why you are communicating and what the audience needs. A message becomes long when the communicator tries to satisfy competing goals at once: informing, persuading, covering risks, showcasing effort, and anticipating every question. The book encourages readers to name a primary purpose and tailor the message to the specific listener or group. That audience focus helps you choose the right level of detail and vocabulary, and it makes it easier to cut content that is interesting but not necessary. The practical implication is that you do not start by editing sentences, you start by making decisions. What action do you want? What must the audience understand first? What do they already know? What objections are likely, and which ones truly matter right now? This topic also highlights that different contexts require different forms of brevity. An executive update, a client recommendation, and a team coaching conversation cannot share the same structure. By grounding brevity in purpose and audience, the book provides a way to stay short without being vague, and to be direct without being careless.
Thirdly, Structure creates clarity: a repeatable framework for messages, Another key idea is that brevity depends on structure. When people talk or write without a framework, they often wander through background information, examples, and side points, hoping the main point becomes obvious. McCormack advocates building messages around a small set of elements that guide the listener: the point, the support, and the desired next step. While the exact labels may vary by situation, the emphasis is consistent: lead with the main takeaway, then provide only the most relevant proof, and close with what you want to happen. This structural discipline makes your communication easier to follow and easier to remember. It also reduces the need to repeat yourself, because the audience receives a clear map from the beginning. The book’s focus on repeatability is important for professionals who communicate frequently. A framework reduces cognitive load, helps you prepare faster, and increases consistency across channels like meetings, slides, and emails. Structure also supports better collaboration because others can respond to your actual point instead of reacting to scattered details. In effect, a strong structure is how you earn the right to be brief while still being thorough enough to drive confident decisions.
Fourthly, Editing and delivery habits that remove clutter and boost impact, Beyond high level principles, the book highlights practical habits that turn long communication into tight communication. One habit is cutting throat clearing, the extended lead ins, disclaimers, and scene setting that delay the point. Another is replacing rambling sequences with prioritized bullets or crisp sections that make the logic visible. McCormack also points to common clutter sources: redundant phrases, jargon that hides meaning, excessive qualifiers, and too many examples that compete for attention. Editing is treated as a skill with clear goals: reduce length, increase clarity, and preserve tone. The book also connects brevity to delivery, not just writing. Speaking briefly requires pacing, pausing, and confidence to stop when the point is made. Many people keep talking to fill silence or to prove they have done the work. McCormack encourages the reader to trust that a clear point, backed by a few strong facts, is more persuasive than a flood of information. In meetings, this means setting an agenda, making asks explicit, and summarizing decisions. In email, it means front loading the request and using formatting that supports scanning. These habits make brevity visible and usable in daily work.
Lastly, Applying brevity across modern channels and high stakes moments, The book’s guidance is particularly relevant to modern work where communication happens across fragmented channels: quick messages, email threads, virtual meetings, slide decks, and executive updates. McCormack addresses the idea that every channel has constraints and opportunities. A short message should still convey context, but in a way that fits the medium. For example, a meeting update benefits from a clear headline and a few key metrics, while a presentation needs a narrative arc that keeps the audience oriented. This topic also connects brevity to high stakes moments such as making recommendations, handling conflict, or answering questions on the spot. In those scenarios, long explanations can sound defensive or uncertain. A brief, well structured response signals composure and command of the issue. The book encourages building a habit of distilling: if you cannot state the point in a few lines, you may not understand it well enough or you may be mixing multiple messages. Practicing brevity becomes a way to improve thinking quality, because it forces prioritization and clarity. When applied consistently, the result is fewer misunderstandings, faster decisions, and more persuasive leadership communication across the environments where attention is scarce.
- Amazon USA Store: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1394324324?tag=9natree-20
- Amazon Worldwide Store: https://global.buys.trade/Brief%3A-Make-a-Bigger-Impact-by-Saying-Less-Joseph-McCormack.html
- eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Brief+Make+a+Bigger+Impact+by+Saying+Less+Joseph+McCormack+&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&siteid=0&campid=5339060787&customid=9natree&toolid=10001&mkevt=1
- Read more: https://english.9natree.com/read/1394324324/
#brevity #businesscommunication #leadershipmessaging #presentationskills #meetingeffectiveness #emailwriting #clarity #executivecommunication #Brief
These are takeaways from this book.
Firstly, Brevity as a leadership advantage, not a personality trait, A core theme of the book is that being brief is a learnable discipline rather than a talent reserved for naturally concise people. McCormack positions brevity as a leadership advantage because leaders are constantly asking others to align, decide, and execute. When messages are long, unfocused, or packed with secondary details, audiences work harder to interpret what matters and may disengage or make the wrong call. The book emphasizes that brevity is not about being abrupt or shallow. Instead, it is about being intentional: choosing the few points that truly support your purpose and removing everything that dilutes them. This reframing matters because it turns communication into a strategic tool. You can use brevity to increase credibility, demonstrate preparation, and signal respect for the listener’s time. The approach also addresses a common fear: that shorter messages reduce nuance. McCormack argues the opposite, that clarity makes nuance easier to discuss because everyone shares the same main point first. In practice, this topic helps readers see brevity as a professional standard, especially in roles where influence depends on attention, trust, and momentum.
Secondly, Start with purpose and audience to decide what to keep, McCormack stresses that concise communication begins before you write or speak, by clarifying why you are communicating and what the audience needs. A message becomes long when the communicator tries to satisfy competing goals at once: informing, persuading, covering risks, showcasing effort, and anticipating every question. The book encourages readers to name a primary purpose and tailor the message to the specific listener or group. That audience focus helps you choose the right level of detail and vocabulary, and it makes it easier to cut content that is interesting but not necessary. The practical implication is that you do not start by editing sentences, you start by making decisions. What action do you want? What must the audience understand first? What do they already know? What objections are likely, and which ones truly matter right now? This topic also highlights that different contexts require different forms of brevity. An executive update, a client recommendation, and a team coaching conversation cannot share the same structure. By grounding brevity in purpose and audience, the book provides a way to stay short without being vague, and to be direct without being careless.
Thirdly, Structure creates clarity: a repeatable framework for messages, Another key idea is that brevity depends on structure. When people talk or write without a framework, they often wander through background information, examples, and side points, hoping the main point becomes obvious. McCormack advocates building messages around a small set of elements that guide the listener: the point, the support, and the desired next step. While the exact labels may vary by situation, the emphasis is consistent: lead with the main takeaway, then provide only the most relevant proof, and close with what you want to happen. This structural discipline makes your communication easier to follow and easier to remember. It also reduces the need to repeat yourself, because the audience receives a clear map from the beginning. The book’s focus on repeatability is important for professionals who communicate frequently. A framework reduces cognitive load, helps you prepare faster, and increases consistency across channels like meetings, slides, and emails. Structure also supports better collaboration because others can respond to your actual point instead of reacting to scattered details. In effect, a strong structure is how you earn the right to be brief while still being thorough enough to drive confident decisions.
Fourthly, Editing and delivery habits that remove clutter and boost impact, Beyond high level principles, the book highlights practical habits that turn long communication into tight communication. One habit is cutting throat clearing, the extended lead ins, disclaimers, and scene setting that delay the point. Another is replacing rambling sequences with prioritized bullets or crisp sections that make the logic visible. McCormack also points to common clutter sources: redundant phrases, jargon that hides meaning, excessive qualifiers, and too many examples that compete for attention. Editing is treated as a skill with clear goals: reduce length, increase clarity, and preserve tone. The book also connects brevity to delivery, not just writing. Speaking briefly requires pacing, pausing, and confidence to stop when the point is made. Many people keep talking to fill silence or to prove they have done the work. McCormack encourages the reader to trust that a clear point, backed by a few strong facts, is more persuasive than a flood of information. In meetings, this means setting an agenda, making asks explicit, and summarizing decisions. In email, it means front loading the request and using formatting that supports scanning. These habits make brevity visible and usable in daily work.
Lastly, Applying brevity across modern channels and high stakes moments, The book’s guidance is particularly relevant to modern work where communication happens across fragmented channels: quick messages, email threads, virtual meetings, slide decks, and executive updates. McCormack addresses the idea that every channel has constraints and opportunities. A short message should still convey context, but in a way that fits the medium. For example, a meeting update benefits from a clear headline and a few key metrics, while a presentation needs a narrative arc that keeps the audience oriented. This topic also connects brevity to high stakes moments such as making recommendations, handling conflict, or answering questions on the spot. In those scenarios, long explanations can sound defensive or uncertain. A brief, well structured response signals composure and command of the issue. The book encourages building a habit of distilling: if you cannot state the point in a few lines, you may not understand it well enough or you may be mixing multiple messages. Practicing brevity becomes a way to improve thinking quality, because it forces prioritization and clarity. When applied consistently, the result is fewer misunderstandings, faster decisions, and more persuasive leadership communication across the environments where attention is scarce.
