For years I have enjoyed listening to speakers of all kinds, trying to identify what makes them successful. Many preachers have developed their skills to the level of the fine arts, such as Charles Swindoll or Joyce Meyers. With rare exceptions like President Barack Obama or, depending on the event, Sarah Palin, civic and political leaders often lag far behind religious leaders in polish and presentation. Whoever they are, leaders would do well to always work to improve their communication skills.
Here are some handy nuts and bolts:
Speak. The first law of communication is to communicate, so if you want people to get the message, share the message. And you must speak in as simple a vocabulary as possible, and in a way that others can understand. Don’t do what some teachers try to do, impress the audience with multi-syllable words. doesn’t work. When the crowd goes home, the only thing they remember is your arrogance. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), there is nothing simpler than that.
Don’t apologize for talking. It’s one thing to hear an infrequent speaker offer a flustered apology on the church platform; it’s quite another to hear this from a leader. If talking makes you nervous, get over it or find another job. Your apology for being uncomfortable makes everyone else feel uncomfortable. The more comfortable you feel “in your own skin”, the more comfortable your audience will be with your presentation.
Convey confidence. Take ownership of the opportunity to speak and treat listeners with respect. Say “Thank you,” but don’t say it enthusiastically. Do whatever it takes to build your confidence: prepare properly, practice, use notes, etc. Stand physically relaxed and avoid signaling nerves with awkward gestures or awkward movements.
Connect with the audience. Smile. Look directly at people individually and collectively. Scan the entire audience in a natural, measured way so everyone feels like you’re talking to them. On the road or at the event, keep an eye out for a development unique to the occasion, then mention it at the start of your talk. Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer is a master at this. Each time, in the dingy old high school auditorium or the Waldorf Astoria, he finds something to say that is distinctive and complementary to his listeners and his place. Get to know your audience and engage directly with them, their city or your event today. Make them feel special, which is why comedians walk offstage saying, “You’ve been a great audience.”
Come up with some appropriate one-liners that will work anywhere. The old witty phrases, with which you feel comfortable, are always there for you like a good friend. They reduce your anxiety, help you convey confidence and connect with the audience, and help engage the audience and help them relax. One of my favorites goes something like this: “I always wanted to speak at XYZ. (brief pause) I guess now I can die happy.” He never stops laughing.
Never read your speech. It may be appropriate to read a short formal announcement or a reference to someone else’s statement. But reading your content is the fastest way to lose your audience’s attention, put them to sleep, or literally lose them while voting with their feet going out the back door. I once sat in the gallery of the Michigan Legislature to listen to Governor John Engler deliver his State of the State address. While I appreciated him and most of his ideas, I struggled to stay focused as he plodded through line after line. You can guess what the opposition party was doing. To the governor’s credit, he improved over time, according to some of those close to him, with professional help and practice. Good for him. Good for his constitution.
Be brief. FDR “Be sincere; be brief; sit down” is a good rule of thumb for any speaker. In November 1863, Edward Everett delivered the keynote address at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new military cemetery at Gettysburg, followed by President Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address.” Everett later wrote to Lincoln: “I should be glad if I could take pride in having come as near to the thrust of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes.”
Tell stories. Jesus usually spoke to multitudes of followers in parables, which are short stories from everyday life that contain an application of deeper spiritual truths. While over thirty parables are recorded in the Gospels, the book of Mark says that Jesus used many other parables in his public speaking ministry. In fact, he “did not tell them anything without using a parable” (Mk 4, 33-34). People are interested in people and that’s what the best stories of a leader should be about.
List core values and/or set goals clearly. Put your values and goals into every important presentation. Why? Because an important way to motivate people is to make sure they know where they’re going. Values and goals are an integral part of a vision statement. Share them, or better yet, embody them as a leader. Lead by example.
Be positive. “Negative campaigning” has long become a commonplace in American life. But a leader is better off taking the right path. Ronald Reagan gave us a version of this, his 11th Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” Describe who you and your organization are, not who others or your competitor organizations are not. Being quoted in the media with a sound attack on others has more to do with ego or revenge than with advancing your organization’s vision. No one follows a flamethrower for very long. The heat is too intense.
Use props to reinforce, not replace your speech. PowerPoints, short videos, images, audio, and other technologies can be hugely effective tools for engaging your audience. But you’re still the speaker, and for my money, you need to talk. No medium has yet been developed that is as convincing as a passionate person who truly believes what they say. Use accessories wisely, but don’t forget the natural power to “unplug.”
Use your same (best) vision speech repeatedly. Leadership expert Barry Z. Posner’s formula for good visual communication: “Repetition, repetition, repetition!” Richard Nixon put the point more colorfully: “The moment you’re writing a line that you’ve written so often you want to throw up, that’s the moment the American people will hear it.” Communicate the vision persuasively and persistently on every possible occasion. And don’t worry if you share the vision too often. Management consultants Thomas Werner and Robert Lynch recommend that leaders communicate their vision 7 times in 7 different ways. I’d say a lot more often than that.
These articles are suggestions born from experience, not rules. Some will apply all the time. Some will apply sometimes. It’s your idea to call.
You are the leader. Lead with his words.