Speaking to Lead and Inspire »
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A commonly held belief is that speaking as a leader is something that only a few people can do. In reality, it is a learnable skill.
“Change” is the Guiding Concept - The call for leadership comes with a need for change. This focus on change, in turn, determines the approach a leader takes in developing a message. In its simplest form, the approach to leadership speaking involves two steps - 1) defining reality and 2) establishing the vision.
First Comes the Agreement on Reality - Leadership expert Warren Bennis says, “The first task of a leader is to define reality.” It’s the first task because no group of people, no audience, will accept a leader’s prescription for change unless it first accepts the leader’s description of the reality that is being faced. In other words, people must agree with the “what is” message before they'll accept “what must be.”
This concept is illustrated when political leaders engage in debate. If the subject is campaign finance reform, for example, one side will paint a picture of a political system corrupted by money. The opposing side will speak of free speech and an active citizenry. Those who believe the first group’s definition of reality buy into new restrictions on political spending. Those more swayed by the second side’s description of “the way it is,” are more inclined to buy into a vision of limited government interference.
The accepted way for a leader to establish reality is to begin by speaking about the past and then to move into a description of the present. Terry Pearce, who lectures on leadership communication at the University of California, Berkley, suggests thinking of this as a message that begins with “the way it was” and transitions into “the way it is.” These two segments, together, constitute the speaker's reality message.
Then Comes the Vision - After establishing reality by speaking about the past and present, a leader then moves into describing what he or she thinks the future should be. This is commonly referred to as the speaker’s vision. Pearce refers to it as “the way it will be.”
Unlike what many people think, this vision does not have to be brilliant and innovative in order to be inspirational. The inspiration comes from the leader's communication of the vision in a way that captures both the hearts and minds of the listeners, and causes them to take ownership of it.
They Need to See the Big Picture and Hear it Personalized - A leader’s message of change should both “paint the big picture” and explain how audience members fit into it. The result is a personalized big picture.
Most people go day to day focused primarily on their own immediate world. When forces affecting the organization create the need for change, they may not accept this need unless their leader gives them what some people call the “30,000 foot view.” They need some help seeing what the leader sees and understanding why change is necessary. Then, to be fully effective, the big picture has to be brought down to where they live (ie personalized). In other words, the leader can’t stay at the 30,000 foot level; he or she also needs to explain what it all means to the individual listener.
Stories Should Reach the Heart - Making the case for change strictly using logic may move an audience toward acceptance; however, the necessary change will only be embraced if peoples’ hearts are also won. Without question, one of the most effective ways to accomplish this is the use of stories. Why are stories so effective? To begin with, listeners tend to lower their intellectual defenses. Stories are not generally perceived to be threatening.
Stories are also effective because listeners join in the creative process. Based on personal experiences, they create images in their minds that include more detail than the speaker is actually giving. This co-creation results in a sense of ownership. For the leader sharing a vision, this is invaluable-it takes the vision from just being his or hers, to being "ours."
What Does the Audience Think? - "Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue." -- The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner). Whenever appropriate, a leader should be open to questions and comments from the audience. This willingness to listen, and not just talk, both projects and inspires confidence. It also encourages the audience to further take ownership of the message.
It's Not Over Without a Call to Action - The final step in a leader's speech must be a specific and personal call to action. Once the story of change has been delivered and defended, it's time to tell the audience members what they should do to make it happen. Tell the story of change and then call for an active participation in it. What will be derived from all these focused efforts? A successful leadership message that achieves lasting results.
Reprinted by permission from Brody Communications Ltd's "Connecting People to Potential" newsletter. Bill Steele is a senior training associate at Brody Communications Ltd. He teaches presentations skills, negotiation skills, and how to run effective meetings. Bill developed the Speaking to Lead & Inspire training program that has become enormously popular with many of our key clients. To book Bill for this or other programs, contact your account manager at Brody Communications Ltd. or Pam Holland, at 800-726-7936.
Bill Steele
A commonly held belief is that speaking as a leader is something that only a few people can do. In reality, it is a learnable skill.
“Change” is the Guiding Concept - The call for leadership comes with a need for change. This focus on change, in turn, determines the approach a leader takes in developing a message. In its simplest form, the approach to leadership speaking involves two steps - 1) defining reality and 2) establishing the vision.
First Comes the Agreement on Reality - Leadership expert Warren Bennis says, “The first task of a leader is to define reality.” It’s the first task because no group of people, no audience, will accept a leader’s prescription for change unless it first accepts the leader’s description of the reality that is being faced. In other words, people must agree with the “what is” message before they'll accept “what must be.”
This concept is illustrated when political leaders engage in debate. If the subject is campaign finance reform, for example, one side will paint a picture of a political system corrupted by money. The opposing side will speak of free speech and an active citizenry. Those who believe the first group’s definition of reality buy into new restrictions on political spending. Those more swayed by the second side’s description of “the way it is,” are more inclined to buy into a vision of limited government interference.
The accepted way for a leader to establish reality is to begin by speaking about the past and then to move into a description of the present. Terry Pearce, who lectures on leadership communication at the University of California, Berkley, suggests thinking of this as a message that begins with “the way it was” and transitions into “the way it is.” These two segments, together, constitute the speaker's reality message.
Then Comes the Vision - After establishing reality by speaking about the past and present, a leader then moves into describing what he or she thinks the future should be. This is commonly referred to as the speaker’s vision. Pearce refers to it as “the way it will be.”
Unlike what many people think, this vision does not have to be brilliant and innovative in order to be inspirational. The inspiration comes from the leader's communication of the vision in a way that captures both the hearts and minds of the listeners, and causes them to take ownership of it.
They Need to See the Big Picture and Hear it Personalized - A leader’s message of change should both “paint the big picture” and explain how audience members fit into it. The result is a personalized big picture.
Most people go day to day focused primarily on their own immediate world. When forces affecting the organization create the need for change, they may not accept this need unless their leader gives them what some people call the “30,000 foot view.” They need some help seeing what the leader sees and understanding why change is necessary. Then, to be fully effective, the big picture has to be brought down to where they live (ie personalized). In other words, the leader can’t stay at the 30,000 foot level; he or she also needs to explain what it all means to the individual listener.
Stories Should Reach the Heart - Making the case for change strictly using logic may move an audience toward acceptance; however, the necessary change will only be embraced if peoples’ hearts are also won. Without question, one of the most effective ways to accomplish this is the use of stories. Why are stories so effective? To begin with, listeners tend to lower their intellectual defenses. Stories are not generally perceived to be threatening.
Stories are also effective because listeners join in the creative process. Based on personal experiences, they create images in their minds that include more detail than the speaker is actually giving. This co-creation results in a sense of ownership. For the leader sharing a vision, this is invaluable-it takes the vision from just being his or hers, to being "ours."
What Does the Audience Think? - "Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue." -- The Leadership Challenge (Kouzes & Posner). Whenever appropriate, a leader should be open to questions and comments from the audience. This willingness to listen, and not just talk, both projects and inspires confidence. It also encourages the audience to further take ownership of the message.
It's Not Over Without a Call to Action - The final step in a leader's speech must be a specific and personal call to action. Once the story of change has been delivered and defended, it's time to tell the audience members what they should do to make it happen. Tell the story of change and then call for an active participation in it. What will be derived from all these focused efforts? A successful leadership message that achieves lasting results.
Reprinted by permission from Brody Communications Ltd's "Connecting People to Potential" newsletter. Bill Steele is a senior training associate at Brody Communications Ltd. He teaches presentations skills, negotiation skills, and how to run effective meetings. Bill developed the Speaking to Lead & Inspire training program that has become enormously popular with many of our key clients. To book Bill for this or other programs, contact your account manager at Brody Communications Ltd. or Pam Holland, at 800-726-7936.