Tesco
Decoding CEO Speak
Book

Decoding CEO Speak

Russell Craig and Joel Amernic
University of Toronto Press, 2021

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples

Recommendation

Words can have tremendous impact, especially when powerful people utter them. They can also reveal clues about a person’s character, values and agenda. Thus, analyzing the language that CEOs use when communicating with the public can help detect warning signs that things are not quite right. In this book, accounting professors Russell Craig and Joel Amernic examine the language that pervades the upper echelons of companies such as Uber, Boeing and Tesla to decipher whether the pictures their CEOs paint match reality, or whether their choice of words should set off alarm bells.

Take-Aways

  • Analyzing the language CEOs use in their communications with stakeholders reveals much about the culture and behavior of their companies.
  • A CEO’s language sets the ethical tone for the organization, so watch out for red flags.
  • People who try to deceive often use “we” instead of “I,” are verbose and include an abundance of positive language in their writing.

About the Authors

Russell Craig is a professor of accounting in Durham University’s Faculty of Business. Joel Amernic is a professor of accounting in the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. 

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