Transformational Leaders Are Professional Speakers and Presenters

Client: How is speaking different from writing?
Coach: In a lot of ways it’s easier to put your feelings across in a speech and to get the people in the audience to feel what you feel about a subject. This is because you can use vocal tone and body language. You also get feedback from your audience which helps you to adjust to the audience’s needs.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re speaking to a few people or a large crowd; it is the emotions that the speaker generates that makes listening worthwhile. That is why transformational leadership is such a great subject. There are thousands of examples of charismatic visions and inspirational communication by successful people.

Great orators like Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy had a way of communicating their vision and making people feel that they wanted to be part of changes in the world. Coaching is about helping people to make changes, so getting them to feel that change is possible for them is important. The small boy in the video at the foot of this page has that ability to engage people and to make them want to change. It is not just the content of what he says; the crucial point is the passion with which he puts it across.

You should never miss an opportunity to make a speech or presentation. Each time you speak you will improve a little until you become a truly transformational speaker.

Client: How do you prepare for a speech?
Coach: With great care. First I research the audience and what they appear to be interested in. Then I look for an angle that should be of interest to them. Perhaps it is a new way of looking at a problem or a new way to deal with a situation. Then I look for examples or case studies that will support the case I am seeking to make. People love to listen to stories, so case studies always add life to any speech or presentation.

Client: Do you have any formal training as a speaker”
Coach: I worked with Toastmasters International for about a year, which was a great help to me. But there is no substitute for experience. You have to get up in front of audiences and deliver your ideas and thoughts and then watch, listen and feel how the audience is reacting to what you say.

Client: Do you ever get nervous when you have to make a speech?
Coach: Yes, every time. But that is no reason to not speak.

I am available to speak on transformational leadership and leadership coaching – please contact me or freephone 0800 195 1989.

All the best,