The CEO of a worldwide business asked me to help you develop a speech that was meant to give to several hundred of its top executives. He said: "I feel like I'm going to Daniel in the lions' den."
In fact, it was the business equivalent of a lion's den that was coming. Hired by a rival company, was a stranger to the company, a company hobbled by declining market share and bad morale caused by the arbitrary actions of the previous CEO, an isolated dictator.
"This is the first time that most of them you see and hear me," he said. "I will give a presentation on the state of the business."
"Hold On," I said. "Do not make a presentation. Hold a leadership speech instead."
There is a difference, I explained, between a presentation / speech and a Leadership Conference. A presentation / speech communicates information, but a discourse of leadership not only communicates information but makes a deep, emotional, human connection with the public.
Most leading presentations and speeches most of the time they should give Leadership Talks.
"You are facing a major leadership position," I said. "The old saying, 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression' applies here in spades. You have a great Leadership Talk opportunity. But to have people believe in you and follow you must be emotionally committed to you and what you say. So to understand what their emotional needs are. "
I went in and spoke to a number of his managers and found that they felt intimidated by the demands of an increasingly sophisticated. I found that were not afraid to be supported in the decisions made in the field. I knew they were angry at having to meet what they considered unnecessary reporting requirements. I learned that he did not trust top management.
Intimidation, fear, anger, mistrust .. . describes the state of the emotions of his audience and, indeed, the state of the business.
The CEO gave a speech that spoke of leadership and meet the needs of those emotions, a discourse based on the unique concept that was someone they could trust.
Speaking of leadership marked the beginning of a turning point for the company.
The lesson: Analyze and speak to the emotion of a situation, and you can become a dramatically more effective leader.
This analysis happen this way:
* Know the difference between a presentation / speech and Leadership Talk then view every speaking situation you encounter or as a presentation / speech situation or a Leadership Talk situation.
* Know that you rarely give presentation / speeches and that the speech should be your primary leadership communication tool leadership.
* Analyze the emotions of the audience, asking what they feel, when you speak, what they fear, what angers them, what inspires them.
* Structure your talk around emotional-talking points. For example, list three things that angers your audience. Do those things the main lines of the speech.
* Talk to them about their emotions. Tell them, for example, that you realize you are angry and what they are angry. Tell them you realize what they feel.
He speaks well and has proved effective in motivating ways. Moreover, they reveal themselves.
These revelations can create strong links between speakers and audience.
Understand the situation by talking in terms of emotional content, and you realize that the situation in new ways. Understand in a new way and talk in new ways. And when he speaks again, the public works in new ways.
2004 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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