Express Yourself

What comes to mind when you think of a great speech? Maybe it’s Abraham Lincoln’s brief-yet-powerful Gettysburg Address. Perhaps it’s Winston Churchill’s memorable admonition to “never, never, never, never give up.” Or maybe it’s Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” discourse.

Whatever the case, the words stick in your mind, not only because they were spoken by great leaders at pivotal points in history, but also because they concisely convey great vision, passion and conviction.

Not every leader possesses the oratorical skills of, say, a Martin Luther King, Jr. But whether you lead a cultural movement, a Fortune 500 company, a small non-profit organization, or a tiny department within a larger corporation, you must be able to express your thoughts publicly in a way that gets through to your intended audience.

This is easy for some leaders and extremely difficult for others. Due to experience, training, or personality, some people are comfortable behind a microphone, while others break out in a cold sweat just thinking about addressing a group of more than three or four people. I can sympathize with the people who fall into the latter category. Nonetheless, I still believe that every leader should master the art of public speaking. Why? Here are five simple reasons.

1. To articulate, reinforce, and intensify the values and beliefs of your organization. 
   I’ve always said that the seed of a miracle is a need, and that was definitely true in Mary Kay’s case. Remember the last time you wanted to accomplish something great, and you wanted to do it quickly? Your desire was accompanied by a tremendous sense of urgency, wasn’t it? The need inspires the passion.
2. To educate, persuade, and sell people on new ideas.
   As agents of change, leaders must continually introduce new concepts and ideas, and encourage people to embrace them.
3. To inform the people you lead about the actions you are taking. 
   This is particularly crucial during periods of great change or turmoil. Keeping people informed in good times as well as bad, is also a good way to model consistency.
4. To build support and enthusiasm. 
   This is the bottom line when it comes to the role of a leader. If you’re not inspiring people to do something—keep up the good work, increase productivity, improve their attitudes, find new ways of doing things, embrace a new strategy, etc.—you’re not really leading them.
5. To inspire people to take action. 
   It’s much easier to get excited about new projects or necessary adjustments when you hear about them in person instead of reading about them in a memo or report. Your spoken words set the tone for how people respond to whatever is going on in your organization.

These five points explain why it’s critical for leaders to master the art of public speaking. Now let me offer a few tips about how you can communicate your vision and make your presentations more effective.

1. Speak in simple and common language.
   I often use the phrase, “Put the cookies on the lower shelf so that everyone can have some.” Don’t try to impress people with flowery phrases and five-syllable words. Just say what you need to say using terminology they can understand.
2. Repeat words until they became themes. 
   In King’s great “I Have a Dream” speech, he used the words, “Let freedom ring” nearly a dozen times. Repeating meaningful phrases like that, whether they have to do with corporate values, sales goals, or significant challenges your company is facing, helps your message stick in the minds of your listeners. It also helps them see that you are truly passionate about what you’re saying.
3. Tell personal stories. 
   Facts, figures, charts and graphs are important and often necessary. But if you use compelling anecdotes about yourself to illustrate key points in your speeches, that’s what people will remember. Nothing captures the heart of an audience more than a personal story.

By incorporating these elements into your speaking, you’ll be much more likely to connect with your audience emotionally, as well as intellectually. Then, and only then, can you get on with the business of educating, informing, persuading and inspiring.

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This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free monthly e-newsletter ‘Leadership Wired’ available at www.MaximumImpact.com.