Thanks for your feedback! Since last week’s post, we’ve received several nominations for our Top Ten Communicators of 2005.

To keep you thinking, here’s an excerpt from our Top Ten BEST from last year:

1. Dr. Phil Phil McGraw has made his syndicated TV show one of the fastest growing, and done it largely on his communication skills. He is fast, articulate, funny, often profound, often mischievous, and deserves his following.

2. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Who would have thought a weight lifter with no political experience could be elected Governor of the United States largest state – and he can’t even pronounce Caleefornia correctly! Never mind – his energy and optimism communicating has given people hope.

3. Reverend Billy Graham

Perhaps in his last year of preaching, his consistency, voice and vivid blue eyes accentuate his always clear message. He is a communicator for the decades.

4. Activist and Filmmaker Michael Moore

Controversial and effective, his speaking is confident and strategic. Whether you like him or not, his communicating is probably more effective than his movie making.

5. Mayor Gavin Newsom

Number 5 with a bullet. This young, attractive new mayor would never have made the national impact he did with his same-sex marriage initiative back in February without having great communication skills.

6. Honorable Nancy Pelosi

The first woman Speaker of the House is only one achievement of this dynamic and smiling woman. Her impact also brought her leadership recognition as one of the rising democratic stars in this year when it didn’t pay to be a democrat. She is a great example of how good communication rides high energy.

7. President Bill Clinton

Like him or not, he is a master at speaking and connecting with people. He always looks, talks, smiles and moves forward – and not even heart surgery could keep him down.

8. CEO Carly Fiorina

Using to her advantage the looks, walk and posture of a winning woman, she handled the merger well (actually saving it) and then moved on to become a business media star. Good branding strategy, and she has the speaking power to pull it off.

9. Olympian Michael Phelps

His smile is as bright as the Gold medals he won swimming in the Olympics. He was the most articulate and personable of all the young athletes, and even though he lost some luster with his DUI run in, his candor and honest humility served him well.

10. President George Bush

The President is #10 for two reasons. He won the election, but he is not #1 because he is not naturally a good communicator, with his shrugs, smirks and abuse of the language. (Witness the Presidential debates.) Yet he remains warm in his demeanor, and forceful and visionary enough to pull off an election victory in spite of an unpopular war and uncertain economy.