Some time ago, I wrote a post about leadership lessons from my friend and former colleague, Robin Sharma. Robin is one of the foremost authorities on leadership and the author of several international bestsellers.
Robin has put out a video with 28 short, but dynamic, ideas on how to lead an amazing life. As I watched, it occurred to me that every single one of them is directly relevant for those who wish to become better public speakers.
Please watch the video and, if you have not already done so, start to apply the principles to your public speaking. The results will be amazing. And your audience will be amazed.
Sometimes I get the impression that all of this highly laudable public speaking takes place in a tinselly and unreal world.
Hi Christina,
I suspect that there are many who share your viewpoint. The question is, why do so many people think this? One key reason, I think, is because so much of the public speaking that we see has so much room for improvement … and many people are just not prepared to invest the time and effort to improve. But that does not mean that excellent public speaking is an unattainable goal in some faraway utopia.
I have worked with many people who have made extraordinary progress in their speaking because they worked at it. Every year, thousands of “ordinary” people give wonderful talks at events such as TED, TEDx, Ignite and others. It’s rarely easy or quick, but with focused and persistent effort, it is possible. And if more people make that effort, then perhaps good public speaking will seem less tinselly and more real.
When speaking in public, the speech still has to be one-to-one. The speaker must connect with, or at least try to connect with each member in the audience. And that requires genuineness, a heart full of love to share something important with a dear friend, a passion to positively influence the other person. Rest is all technicality to make this spirituality more effective.
I belive communication is one-to-one. One-to-many becomes a sermon, where only those who want to, gain something, as per their own interpretation.
Thanks for the great comment, Anurag. You are absolutely right. A good speaker will make every member of the audience feel as though he were speaking to them personally. Your comment reminds me of something that Craig Valentine, the 1999 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking said: “Look to all, but speak to one.”
Cheers!
John
Thanks, John. I have indeed seen excellent TED and TEDx talks. Maybe it’s some of the Toastmasters ones I have taken a certain dislike to.
All best wishes.
No worries, Christina. I appreciated the comment. Toastmasters speeches are hit and miss, but so are TED Talks, political speeches, any speeches really. With the Toastmasters speeches, frequently what we see on line are people in the “early days” of speaking. If they are working towards improving, that can only be a good thing.
Cheers!
John