Four Reasons to Master Public Speaking

Four Reasons to Master Public Speaking

by | Jun 6, 2024 | Public Speaking

I can still remember the first real speech I gave. I was 16 years old, in Year 10, and every person in the year at high school had to take part in a pubic speaking assessment. We could write and deliver a speech about anything we wanted. I chose to write about my uncle.

Uncle Brian had died of cancer a few years earlier. Grief is hard at any age, but particularly as a teenager. You are old enough to understand the devastation of death but too young to navigate the complex emotions that follow.

I can’t tell you exactly what I wrote in that speech – it’s been more than 20 years – but I do remember, at the end of the speech, the teary eyes of my fellow students. I also remember that I was one of only two people in the entire year of about 150 students to get 20/20 for the assessment.

It was my first real lesson in the power of words – the power of stories and emotion – to touch the hearts and minds of others.

Scientist Dr Matthew Lieberman, author of Social, says we are wired to connect. It is part of our cognitive make up. We need social connection just like we need food and water. It is why mastering the skills of public speaking is so important because, at its heart, public speaking—giving speeches, presentations or filming videos for social media—is about human connection.

Some people label public speaking a ‘soft skill’, but I’d rather call it a vital skill. Public speaking is a must-have skill to connect, influence and work with other people.

(Good public speaking = human connections = increased understanding = better outcomes.)

Here are five reasons why public speaking skills are important:

1. Mastering public speaking makes you a better leader

Winston Churchill once wisely said, “The difference between mere management and true leadership is communication.” Mastering public speaking will help you better connect with your workforce, more clearly explain your ideas and vision, and better inspire and motivate your employees. It is by speaking in public—by communicating—that you lead people. To become a better leader, master public speaking.

2. Becoming a better public speaker can make you a more successful business owner

At the heart of every good business is connection with its customers, especially small businesses. While many small business owners might not identify as public speakers, posting videos on social media whereby you speak to the camera is essentially speaking in public. Mastering public speaking can boost your confidence and visibility, increase connections and lead to more sales.

3. Speaking well in public can change how you see yourself

Mastering public speaking has a compounding effect (don’t ask me to prove it with some kind of equation). When you take the stage or turn on the camera and deliver your message with confidence and clarity, you change how you see yourself. You belief in yourself more. You believe in your leadership. You believe that YOU have something valuable to share. You grow in confidence and show up differently for others—with more purpose and intent. Mastering public speaking helps you be the person you wish to become.

4. Mastering public speaking can help you change how others see the world

Public speaking is the skillset you NEED to change how others see the world. Speeches, presentations and videos are how you connect with others to share new information and change their beliefs and perceptions. Public speaking is how you connect, motivate, inspire, influence and educate. Speeches and presentations help move the world forward, in the right direction.

 

Want to be a better public speaker? Get in contact about one-on-one and group coaching.

What is Leadership Communication?

What is Leadership Communication?

by | Jan 3, 2024 | CEO Communication, Leadership Communication, Speechwriting

What is leadership communication?

Almost two years ago, we witnessed some of the best leadership communication in modern times. As Russia invaded Ukraine, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy led his people (and continues to do so) with clarity, confidence and courage through uncertain, chaotic and catastrophic times.

He emerged as something few people expected: a war time leader who rallied his people to fight back in what seemed an impossible ask.

He did this through leadership communication: speeches, televised addresses, social media posts.

If you’ve ever wondered what Winston Churchill meant when he said, “The difference between mere management and leadership is communication.” – I’d like to think Zelenskyy is the perfect example.

The hallmark of good leadership is communication.

Just look back in history – Lincoln, Churchill, Kennedy, Mandela, Obama – what do they have in common? History-making speeches.

Just like a songwriter speaks to a broken heart or the dying gives advice to the living, we want our leaders to help us make sense of information, make meaning of change and unexpected events, and navigate complex emotions. We also want them to paint a picture of the future and detail steps to get there.

I acknowledge, it’s not an easy ask but it’s also not negotiable.

A survey conducted several years ago by The Economist found, “Poor communication is having a tremendous impact on the workplace.”

The report said: “Communication barriers are leading to a delay or failure to complete projects, low morale, missed performance goals and even lost sales—some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

It’s a simple equation: Good leaders are good communicators.

Back to Zelenskyy. On the 24th February 2022, President Zelenskyy delivered a televised address to the people of Russia – a passionate, desperate last ditch effort to prevent war.

It was unsuccessful.

It didn’t stop the war but it started an outpouring of support from around the world and earnt him respect as a remarkable leader.

Using that speech as an example, let me explain what is leadership communication.

1. Leadership communication is visionary

What is the most important job of a leader? To lead. To chart the path forward. To know where we are headed… and then to clearly communicate that vision.

Firstly, leadership communication is visionary. It paints a clear picture of the future. Usually this is a positive message but not all the time. Not in the example below or when talking about climate change.

In the example of Zelenskyy’s address to the people of Russia, he clearly outlined what was to come.

“The war is a big disaster, and this disaster has a high price. With every meaning of this word. People lose money, reputation, quality of life, they lose freedom. But the main thing is that people lose their loved ones, they lose themselves.”

It’s your job as a leader to help people clearly look into the future, which is determined by the decisions and actions we make today.  

2. Leadership communication makes sense of information

It’s also a leader’s job to make the complex simple – to help people make sense of information – to help them understand what it means for them. This is especially important in our modern world where information is everywhere, often conflicting and sometimes, deliberately, misleading.

It’s why leadership communication must make sense of information for others.

Zelenskyy used the opportunity to counter what Russian’s might have heard.

“They told you that Ukraine is posing a threat to Russia. It was not the case in the past, not in the present, it’s not going to be in the future. You are demanding security guarantees from NATO, but we also demand security guarantees. Security for Ukraine from you, from Russia and other guarantees of the Budapest memorandum.”

Miscommunication happens when leaders assume people all make sense of information the same way. This is not the case. We are all unique. We all have different life experiences and different lenses through which we view the world.

When you say something, clearly spell out what you mean. Make sense of information for others. It’s what good leaders do.

3. Leadership communication makes meaning of change and unexpected events

When we talk about leadership communication, we don’t talk enough about making meaning for others. Research has found that making meaning of change and unexpected events, especially stressful events, has far reaching benefits for wellbeing.

When our beliefs about the world are challenged, or when our world no longer exists as we once saw it, we need our leaders to help us create new beliefs and new understandings about our environment and existence.

In the example of Zelenskyy, when peace gave way to war, he needed to change how his people saw themselves and how the world saw his people.

He did this in many ways but especially when he said:

“We know for sure that we don’t need the war. Not a Cold War, not a hot war. Not a hybrid one. But if we’ll be attacked by the [enemy] troops, if they try to take our country away from us, our freedom, our lives, the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. Not attack, but defend ourselves. And when you will be attacking us, you will see our faces, not our backs, but our faces.”

Most leaders will never navigate a situation as dire, destructive and devasting as war. But there are still many situations which require you to make meaning for your people: redundancies, restructures, reputational crises—any change or event that might be out-of-line with people’s beliefs and expectations.

4. Leadership communication helps others navigate emotions

Our emotions are in reaction to information. Our brains receive information, interpret it, and respond, if necessary, with emotion. Leadership communication should identify how people are feeling and shape how you want them to respond to information.

In the example of Zelenskyy, he might have felt that Russians felt hopeless and helpless to stop war. He tried to change it and spur them to action.

“But our main goal is peace in Ukraine and the safety of our people, Ukrainians. For that we are ready to have talks with anybody, including you, in any format, on any platform. The war will deprive [security] guarantees from everybody — nobody will have guarantees of security anymore. Who will suffer the most from it? The people. Who doesn’t want it the most? The people! Who can stop it? The people. But are there those people among you? I am sure.

If you are going to give people information, leaders should shape how people should emotionally respond, whether that be angry, disgusted, shocked, hopeful, proud or determined.

Don’t leave it to the people to navigate their own emotions, identify emotions and shape how they should respond.

After all, emotions influence our decisions and actions.

5. Leadership communication details next steps

Leaders should articulate their future vision and then detail steps to get there. It sounds so simple yet this type of concrete, actionable information is often missing in leadership communication.

Be crystal clear with what next steps you want people to take.

Zelenskyy did this beautifully when he said:

“I know that they [the Russian state] won’t show my address on Russian TV, but Russian people have to see it. They need to know the truth, and the truth is that it is time to stop now, before it is too late. And if the Russian leaders don’t want to sit with us behind the table for the sake of peace, maybe they will sit behind the table with you. Do Russians want the war? I would like to know the answer. But the answer depends only on you, citizens of the Russian Federation.”

So, there you have it. Leadership communication requires you to outline your vision, make sense of information for others, make meaning of change and unexpected events, help others navigate emotions and clearly communicate next steps.

Look at the last speech or presentation you delivered. Did you do this well? What could you do better?

Want to improve your leadership communication skills? Check out my training, online speechwriting course or keynote coaching package.

How to write a powerful CEO Christmas message

How to write a powerful CEO Christmas message

by | Dec 2, 2021 | CEO Communication

How to write a powerful CEO Christmas message

It’s December. Summer is here. Christmas trees are up. Carols are on repeat. Unopened books are patiently waiting to be read during the holidays.

But before we see out 2021, leaders and CEOs must first recap the year that was. That means writing the end of year CEO Christmas message to staff and stakeholders.

It’s easy to follow the template. Search your files for last year’s message and update it with this year’s events and next year’s outlook. Tick the box. Christmas message done.

But to do so is a missed opportunity.

Your Christmas message is a chance to talk to your staff and stakeholders. An opportunity to thank them for their effort and support, to re-energise and motivate them, to outline your vision and priorities.

It’s an opportunity for you to demonstrate real leadership—your leadership.

If you are yet to put pen to paper, here are five tips to help you write a more powerful CEO Christmas message.

1. Have a key message

You’re probably thinking my key message is Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Wrong. Your key message should align more broadly with your leadership priorities. Perhaps it’s about your organisational culture or how you have achieved change this year? Before you start writing your Christmas message, think about what you want to say to your staff and stakeholders. Seize the opportunity.

2. Use specific language

What’s my Christmas wish for 2021? That leaders kill corporate jargon. Slay it with a sword and vow to never talk such gibberish again. Corporate jargon is killing good communication and stopping you from connecting with your people.

In your Christmas message, use specific language. When you use specific language, you conjure up an image in the minds of the audience. This allows you to transfer ideas.

When you use non-specific language (or worse, corporate jargon), you give the audience a series of clues to decipher. The audience will overlay their own life experience to decipher these clues, all differently interpreting your message.

Here’s an example.

Non-specific language: A large animal, with brightly coloured toenails, walks across a busy city street, during the busiest time of day, to enter a building filled with books.

What are you thinking of? Which large animal? What colour toenails? Which city around the world? What time of day? What kind of building filled with books?

That’s a lot of work for your brain and your answers to these questions depend on your own life experience and preferences.

I highly doubt everyone who reads this will think of the same answers.

I’ll now re-write the sentence using specific language.

Specific language: An elephant, with bright orange toenails, walks across Macquarie Street in Sydney, during the morning peak hour, to enter the state library.

See how powerful communication is when you use specific language? Specific language allows you to transfer ideas to others, to conjure up imagery in their mind.

When you write your CEO Christmas message, use specific language.

3. Tell stories

Leaders hesitate to tell stories when speaking to staff or stakeholders. You fear putting one team in the spotlight when so many have done extraordinary work. But without stories, it is hard to highlight lessons or evoke emotions. Without personal stories or examples from this year, each year’s Christmas message starts to sound the same.

So how can you tell personal stories so they resonate with everyone?

Easy. The story itself is not the hero. The hero is the meaning you attribute to the story, it’s the point of the story. And that meaning—the reason why you chose  that story to tell—can have universal applicability.

For example, you might talk about the attitude of a particular team and then say how you witnessed that same attitude across the organisation.

A story about one person can in fact be about millions of people.

4. Choose the right tone

Your CEO Christmas message should have a dash of nostalgia as you look back at the year that was and a good dose of optimism as you look to the future.

My only caution is that optimism should be measured with realistic expectations. Don’t make promises you have no control of or can’t keep. Without a crystal ball, you can’t promise 2022 will be better than 2021.

Being overly optimistic may erode trust and resilience if the year ends up tougher than envisioned.

5. Look to the future

Think of your CEO Christmas message as having a beginning, middle and end.

At the beginning of your CEO Christmas message talk about the year that was. Think about how you want your staff and stakeholders to feel. What emotions do you want to evoke? Do you want them to feel proud? Then tell a story or anecdote that will evoke that emotion.

Use the middle of your CEO Christmas message to state your key message. What’s that one message you want to convey to your staff and stakeholders? It should align with your leadership priorities.

At the end of your Christmas message speak of next year. This part of your message should be optimistic and visionary, it should inspire and motivate. Use emotive language. You might want to tell another story or anecdote. Or maybe you want to end with a metaphor or analogy. No matter how you choose to end your CEO Christmas message, it should inspire your staff and stakeholders and motivate them for the year ahead.

 

Do you need help with your CEO communication? I can write your staff emails, newsletters, articles, opinion pieces and speeches. Get in touch to find out more. 

How to Write a Speech to Motivate People

How to Write a Speech to Motivate People

by | Jul 15, 2021 | Speechwriting, Writing Advice

How to write a speech to motivate people

When John F Kennedy took the lectern at Rice University in September 1962, his intention was far greater than delivering a speech that outlined his ambition to send a man to the moon.

The speech was engineered to motivate the nation, to inspire them to believe in what seemed impossible and to garner support for something many opposed.

He started the speech by reminding the audience of humankind’s amazing feats throughout history. Feats that seemed impossible at the time but, once achieved, progressed humanity in unimaginable ways.

He gives the example of learning how to write and then print. Creating the steam engine. Newton exploring the meaning of gravity. Inventing lights, electricity, cars and planes. Even the invention of penicillin and nuclear power.

By reminding the audience of ground-breaking advancements, he opened their minds to the possibility that man could land on the moon. He made them believe it was within reach.

It was a bold, yet brilliant, move and should serve as inspiration as today’s leaders face similar challenges. 

The Information Age has been dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Humankind is once more on the verge of progressing in unimaginable ways. The last 20 years has given us a glimpse of what’s to come and how our lives might change.

But with this advancement comes great challenges for leaders. How do they get employees to envision a future that is too unpredictable to clearly paint? How do they motivate employees to change the way they work? How do they inspire employees to believe in previously unimaginable possibilities?

It’s not just a great challenge for leaders, but a great challenge for speechwriters too. 

So, here are three tips to help you write a speech to motivate others.

  1. Choose language wisely for your speech.

Word choice is always important. Every word on the page should be chosen intentionally. Every word should serve a purpose. This is even more important when trying to inspire and motivate others. 

Choose words that convey action (think verbs and adverbs). For example, in the Rice University speech, JFK says: “No man can fully grasp how far and how fast we have come.”

Also note that not all words are created equal. Some words have far greater impact than others. Here’s 10 examples. It is a tiny sample to prove my point:

  • Built
  • Demand
  • Desire
  • Discover
  • Erase
  • Pioneered
  • Pluck
  • Proven
  • Scorch
  • Unearth

Choose words that will have greater impact, words that will motivate and inspire.

  1. Use a variety of sentence lengths in your speech to convey action.

When you are trying to motivate an audience, the last thing you want to do is put them to sleep — so, for goodness’ sake, do not speak sentences that are consistently long or consistently the same length. (Consistency is NOT key when delivering a speech!)

Short sentences convey action, even danger. It says to the brain, “listen up — this is important.” Then you can use longer sentences, as well as the speed and volume of your voice, to convey movement and action.

Here’s an example.

“Listen. Come closer. I’m about to tell you something special, something you’ll want to know, something that will change your life. I’m about to tell how to write sentences that can hook an audience and get your message heard, allowing you to create positive change in the world.”

Note the different sentence lengths and its impact on rhythm. 

  1. Tell stories in your speech.

If you’ve read my blog post Three Tips to Write a Better Speech, you’ll know that, in my world, story is not King (or Queen). The point to a story is what sits on the throne. 

But here’s greater insight into why and how you should tell stories.

We tell stories because they make us feel things and not in a lovey-dovey kind-of-way, but in a scientific kind-of-way.

Us humans are empathetic creatures. It’s part of our survival programming. When someone tells us a story, we feel the emotions of the character or person in the story. In other words, telling stories elicits a chemical reaction in YOUR brain! It’s why a sad movie stays with you for days.

It’s also why stories are so powerful in speeches. You can make an audience feel emotions by sharing a story.

Years after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd had apologised to the stolen generation, I found myself in tears reading the transcript.

He told the story of a woman in her 80s who had been taken from her mother when she was just four years old.

Here’s an excerpt:

“She loved the dancing. She remembers once getting into strife when, as a four-year-old girl, she insisted on dancing with the male tribal elders rather than just sitting and watching the men, as the girls were supposed to do.

But then, sometime around 1932, when she was about four, she remembers the coming of the welfare men.

Her family had feared that day and had dug holes in the creek bank where the children could run and hide.

What they had not expected was that the white welfare men did not come alone. They brought a truck, two white men and an Aboriginal stockman on horseback cracking his stockwhip.

The kids were found; they ran for their mothers, screaming, but they could not get away. They were herded and piled onto the back of the truck. Tears flowing, her mum tried clinging to the sides of the truck as her children were taken away to the Bungalow in Alice, all in the name of protection.”

I felt the fear of the children. I felt the desperation of their mothers. I felt the heartache of families forever torn apart.

They weren’t just words processed by my ears, but emotions felt deep within my heart.

That’s the power of story. If you want to motivate and inspire others, tell stories.

When the days are tough and the future uncertain, the world needs great communicators. I hope these three tips help you to communicate with greater influence and impact.

Why YOU Can Be a Better Speechwriter

Why YOU Can Be a Better Speechwriter

by | Jun 21, 2021 | Speechwriting

Why YOU Can Be a Better Speechwriter

A post popped up in my LinkedIn feed last week that gave me all the feels.

A man shared a letter from 17 years ago. It was addressed to him from a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The man, who had been a 12-year-old boy at the time, had written to the RAAF and sent them designs for two new aircraft. The senior officer had replied, commending his ingenuity.

The man said the letter from the senior officer had “ignited a fire” in him, and despite setbacks and challenges, it kept him moving forward. Now 29 years old, he is on a path to achieve his dream, studying Physics and working at a start-up in the Defence industry.

The story resonated with me because it reminded me of another overly ambitious 12-year-old: it reminded me of me.

When I was 12 years old, I was desperate to be a writer. I walked into the local news agency, with pen and paper in hand. I opened the cover page of every magazine that I knew and wrote down its telephone number. Then I walked to the closest pay phone and started calling all the magazines on the list. Begging them if I could do work experience with them.

It was such a long shot. I was 12 years old and reaching for the stars, calling the biggest publications in the country. The same publications that all the journalism university students would have called months earlier, also asking to do work experience with them.

There were so many reasons why every magazine would say no. But rather than a list of obstacles, I saw a list of opportunities.

I had called about two-thirds of the magazines on my list before CLEO magazine finally said yes. Later that year, I walked into the biggest magazine publishing house in Australia, and, in many ways, I feel as though that was the start of my career.

Like the man in the first story, 17 years later I was also living out my dream. I was working at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, writing speeches for the Prime Minister.

People often think that speechwriting is a gift that you are born with but, for me, it’s been a passion I’ve pursued. I’ve read books, done courses, studied it at university.

I tell this story because we place so much emphasis on intelligence and natural ability when attitude is the most critical factor of success. Those who succeed are those who believe in themselves, those who chase opportunities regardless of obstacles.

If you want to be a better writer, I genuinely believe you can be, if you so choose to be.