Inc. Here’s how to get better at each one of them. “Before he died, beloved MIT professor Patrick Winston regularly gave a fascinating and deeply compelling lecture to university students about the value of good communication. In his introduction, he drew attention to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which calls for court martial for any officer who sends a soldier into battle without a weapon. Winston says there ought to be a similar protection for students–and I might add, that protection should be provided for entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners, too. Namely, that no one should go through life without being armed with the ability to properly communicate. Because, as Winston puts it: “Your success in life will be determined largely by your ability to speak, your ability to write, and the quality of your ideas, in that order.” The ability to speak. The ability to write. The quality of your ideas. Winston, a brilliant professor who taught thousands of students and was himself a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, also knew the power of emotional intelligence. While he recognized the value of brilliant ideas, he placed even higher importance on the ability to communicate those ideas in an impactful manner.