One of the most critical skills you need to master in order to be successful is communication. After all, almost any outcome you try to achieve in your personal and professional life depends on cooperation with others — which, in turn, requires you to communicate clearly and persuasively.

The best way to get started in becoming a better communicator is to read what’s likely the most powerful book on communication you’ve never heard of: Barbara Minto’s The Pyramid Principle, which was first published over 40 years ago.

Minto was the first female MBA graduate ever hired by McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s most prestigious management consulting firms. She originally developed the Pyramid Principle, her classic framework for effective communications, as a way to help her fellow consultants think more rigorously. Which is, incidentally, why her framework has had such a lasting influence: It not only helps you communicate your ideas more clearly and persuasively, but it also helps you form better ideas in the first place.

We urge you to read Minto’s whole book: It’s a treasure trove of practical insights and examples that no single article can replace. That being said, we know that you are pressed for time, so, as today’s nugget, we are featuring an article by Ameet Ranadive, a McKinsey alum, that will give you a taste of the Pyramid Principle and enough of an overview for you to start experimenting with it in your everyday communications.