A technology leader shares hard-won lessons on communicating effectively with executives. Drawing on personal stories from Microsoft and Adobe, the author introduces a four-C framework (Clarity, Context, Consequence, Control) for executive interactions. Key advice includes leading with conclusions, planning to use only half your allotted time, saying 'I don't know' when you don't, and treating interruptions as signals rather than derailments. The central insight: executives need to make decisions, not evaluate your expertise, so optimizing to be understood always beats optimizing to be right.
Table of contents
A framework: the four C’sCalibrating your technical levelHow to handle the roomThe view from the other side104 Impressions