133. From Good to Great: How Supercommunicators Unlock the Secrets to Connection with Charles Duhigg

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Charles Duhigg shares what he means by the term "supercommunicator" and what it takes to become one.
In his conversation with host and Stanford GSB lecturer Matt Abrahams, Duhigg illustrates his transition from exploring personal growth for his bestselling books, "The Power of Habit" and "Smarter Faster Better," to investigating the realm of communication, his own and others’.
“One of the things that we know about supercommunicators is that they seem to notice what kind of conversation is going on,” Duhigg says. His current book, "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" came out earlier this year.
Abrahams and Duhigg explore the precise techniques that distinguish a “supercommunicator:” traits such as active listening, looping for understanding, and identifying someone's true feeling underneath their actual words.
“They've trained themselves to look for the little clues or cues that tell us, ‘oh, this person might be talking about something that seems practical, but they're feeling something. This is an emotional conversation,’ or, ‘that person is talking about a plan they want to make.’”