Above all, he communicated his brilliant concepts to millions of people, brilliantly.

So much is now being said about Steve Jobs brilliance – and deservedly so. He was one of a kind. Here is the acknowledged leader and innovator in the world of computers, media, music and business – and yet on the side he built Pixar into the best animation studio in the world and became Disney’s largest stockholder. Amazing.

But what strikes me most about Steve Jobs is that he had no peer in inspiring and motivating others. Not just his employees, not just his customers, but the world. Because of his communicating ability he became a rock star. I remember when I got up at 5AM to go to Moscone Center in San Francisco to hear him announce the iPhone, and I was too late – the line was already three blocks long. Who could have ever predicted that an executive who really is just making a product announcement would be able to command such attention. Amazing.

He was unparalleled. We had him on our Top Ten Best Communicators list several times – and actually he could have been #1 every year but that would have been boring.

He was never boring. He brought us so much. He is a worthy model to emulate. He will be so missed.

Here’s the fun twist – you can nominate! And, if you nominate someone who we haven’t yet considered, and that person makes our final list, you’ll get a seat in an upcoming Decker Made to Stick Messaging program in San Francisco or New York City! Time is ticking, so get your ideas down in the comments right away for a chance to win.

Weigh in below with your thoughts on who has shined this year, and who has really fallen. Could be in business, sports, politics, entertainment.. you name it. If they’ve made an impact (bad or good) with their communications, they could make the cut.

Last year’s list featured Sebastián Piñera of Chile as Best, while Tony Hayward of BP was by far the Worst. So what about this time around?

Here are some thoughts to get you going:

• Should Donald Trump be among the best or worst?
• Any of the Republican presidential candidates worthy of a list?
• Charlie Sheen spent most of the year earning his spot on the Worst, but recently has changed his tune. Thoughts?

Year after year, we produce the Top 10 Best and Worst Communicators because, aside from people loving it, there are great teaching points around effective communications that we can all learn from and use. Stay tuned for the official release in a couple months, and in the mean time, chime in with your thoughts!

Here’s a link to the whole interview.

His clear, straightforward style could get him a spot on our Top 10 list for this year. What are your thoughts?

Perception vs. Reality

Some don’t want to hear any more about Tiger Woods, some can’t get enough of the story, and I suppose there are even a few who don’t know what I’m talking about. This post should satisfy everyone since it isn’t all about Tiger Woods, but he triggered the thought.

From Top Ten to Bottom Ten

I’m in the process of finalizing my annual Top Ten Best (and Worst) Communicators of 2009, and a few weeks ago Tiger was on the Best List. He is the first one ever to go from Best to Worst in the space of a week — because the perception was NOT the reality. (This will be a classic case history on how NOT to communicate in a media crisis.)

I’ve always said and firmly believe that the communications experience you create when you speak (both publicly and one-on-one) dominates how people think and feel about you. And as Abraham Lincoln said,

Perception is reality in the eye of the perceiver. And perception remains reality – until there’s dissonance.

Those who communicate well:

Real life reality ultimately catches up to those who might be great communicators, and are believed and heard, until it is seen that they don’t walk their talk. The political, corporate, and sports landscapes are strewn with examples: Bill Clinton, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, John Edwards, Rod Blagojevich, Elliot Spitzer, Ken Lay, Martha Stewart, Bernie Madoff, Leona Helmsley, OJ Simpson, Pete Rose, Kobe Bryant, and many, many more…

– and now Tiger Woods.

It’s interesting that there can be redemption, but unfortunately it is rare. How many of those mentioned above actually recovered? Only three to date – Clinton, Martha, Kobe. And communications led the way.

Those who communicate poorly:

Also interesting is that there just aren’t very many examples of those who excelled in their fields, were not very good communicators, and fell from grace. They never really had a chance for high-level perception fame – and because of continuing lack of communication skills a low-level chance at redemption. Two examples come to mind:

Mark McGwire

Mike Tyson

Bottom line, if you communicate well, you have a great launching pad for success. You can wield great influence and celebrity. Communicating is important – even critical – to the highest success in the public market place. But if the perception is not matched by the reality of how one lives, he or she will ultimately fall. And though the best communicators will reach the highest peaks, yet they will also fall the farthest.

Tiger Woods better get to talking.