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Secrets of Successful Leaders Who Speak Well
By Suzanne Bates
Secret #1: Talk about Big
Ideas: Every speech or presentation needs one
big idea. A big idea has a life of its own that
lives beyond the leader. President Kennedy launched
the modern space program with these words: “We
choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the
moon in this decade and do the other things, not
because they are easy, but because they are
hard…because that challenge is one that we are
willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone,
and one which we intend to win.”
Secret #2: Be original:
Many leaders give canned speeches. No one likes a
canned speech. People see you as a leader when they
hear your words, your way. You have to talk about
what is true and real to you.
Arnold Zetcher, President and
CEO of Talbots, was being honored a few months after
the tragedy of 9/11. He recalled, “The first draft
was a basic acceptance speech, and then we thought,
‘Wait a minute, we need to talk about what people
are thinking. It has to be about the country.’”
Zetcher and his team created a speech that was in
the moment. He says it was one of the best he had
ever given.
Secret #3: Keep it simple:
Many speeches try to do too much. Your purpose must
be clear; your message must be simple and
straightforward.
Roger Marino, founder of the
high-tech giant EMC, grew up in a working class
neighborhood on Boston’s north shore, and attended a
co-op work program at Northeastern University.
“When I was in college and I didn’t get what
the professors were talking about, it was annoying,”
he said. Taking that lesson to business, Marino
demanded straightforward messages. “A CEO has to
(be able to) communicate with people and walk them
from A to B to C.”
Secret #4: Be a straight
shooter: What people most want in their leaders
is honesty and integrity. So, your message must
ring true. Audiences want a leader to tell
them the truth, no matter what. A reputation for
honesty can take you to the top. Sallie Krawcheck
was appointed CEO of Citigroup after the corporate
scandals of 2001. She got there because of her
honest reputation. She was even dubbed “The
Straight Shooter,” by Money magazine.
Secret #5: Be an optimist:
As a leader you face good times and bad; you must
balance reality with hope. A hallmark of leadership
is optimism. The CEO must see and talk about
what’s possible.
When Bill Ford, Jr. became CEO
of Ford Motor Company in 2001, the company was
losing billions of dollars. Morale was low; Ford
Motor was getting hammered about quality. Yet, he
didn’t let the nay-sayers win. “We are back on firm
footing,” he said at a press conference. “I am very
fired up about the results.” Within 20 months, Ford
had turned the company around and booked $896
million profit in the first quarter alone.
Secret #6: Focus on the
future: In difficult times, we look to leaders
for hope. Hope is a potent message. Focus on the
future and what can be done. New York Mayor Rudy
Giuliani demonstrated this after 9/11. “We have,”
he declared, “the best police department, fire
department, the best police officers, the best fire
officers, the best emergency workers of any place in
the whole world.” While the rest of the world was
focused on the horror, he focused on the future.
“The people in New York City will be whole again. We
are going to come out of this emotionally stronger,
politically stronger, much closer together as a
city, and we’re going to come out of this
economically stronger, too.”
Secret #7: Be real: As
a leader you’re different. Your title or position
sets you apart. That puts you at a disadvantage
with audiences. To make a connection you have to be
yourself; you have to be real.
Dan Wolf, founder and CEO of
Cape Air, is warm, self-effacing and genuine with
audiences. Dan isn’t just a businessman; he has
his commercial aviation license, and also worked as
a mechanic. In town meetings with employees he can
relate to pilots as a pilot, to mechanics as a
mechanic, to business people as a businessman.
“People are interested in the person who is leading
the organization,” he said. “They really want to
know your feelings, reactions and opinions. If you
can share that in a self-effacing way—so they don’t
feel like they are watching an ego maniac, but a
real human being—you can really connect with
people.”
Secret #8: Stand for
something: What inspires most people in the
world today is not a paycheck; it’s a chance to be
part of something bigger. Leaders who stand for
something attract others –they want to be around the
leader to see if it’s contagious.
Judy George founded Domain, a
chain of designer home furnishing stores, after she
was fired as president of another company. By 1998
she had grown her business from 3 to 250 employees,
with 23 stores and $50 million in sales. Judy’s
success became a legend, especially among women
entrepreneurs. She had bootstrapped her way up.
When she speaks to business groups, she’s treated
like a rock star. People line up to speak with her
at these events. The lesson, she said, “Is that you
have to stand for something. To do that, you have to
be willing to reveal something about yourself.”
If you want to take your
speaking to the next level, start by assessing your
skills right now. Ask a friend or trusted advisor
for feedback- someone who sees you speak, knows what
makes a good speaker and will be candid. Questions
to ask:
-
What do you see as my
strengths in speaking?
-
Can you give me a specific
example?
-
Where do I need further
development?
-
Please give me a specific
example.
-
What would be the best way
for me to address this need?
-
Please give me feedback on
posture and body language, wardrobe and grooming,
voice, and executive presence.
If you have never asked someone
for feedback, don’t worry—it’s a great experience.
Most people go out of their way to point out your
strengths and that’s empowering. Learning where you
need to improve will start you on the way to
mastering the secrets of great leaders who speak
well.
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