Buffer I learn as much, if not more, from my students every time I teach anything. How about you? Those of us who teach, lead teams or speak at events, experience this phenomena regularly. I walk in expecting to teach others, but end up feeling like I had more to learn than anyone else in the room. This past semester ... Read More »
Buffer If you speak to public audiences but do not match the message to a mission, you may inspire but you’ll rarely transform. Lasting transformation occurs when your message connects to a larger mission and people align their actions to that mission. I’ve made this mistake many times. You may have also. It doesn’t have to happen again. A few ... Read More »
Buffer Most leaders focus far more on the content of their speech than the pauses they use. Am I describing you? Stop. Breathe. What if you gave people time to think about your message? What impact would it have? The State of the Union address provides one of the most well-known examples of the use of pauses in public speaking. Unfortunately, most presidents ... Read More »
Buffer Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Repeat what matters. Say it once. Say it again. Then make sure everyone heard you by saying it again. Sounds simple enough right? It depends. Repetition in public speaking is much more complicated. Or should I say robust? Clarity in the mind of the speaker doesn’t guarantee clarity in the mind of the listener. I’ll never ... Read More »
Buffer A guest post by Mike Berry My wife excels in challenging me. Sometimes, it takes a while for me to digest what she says, but it’s always good for me. And it always helps me grow. Lately, she has shared some things with me that challenged me more than I realized…and I needed it! She read an article a few weeks ... Read More »
Buffer Responding to Ferguson. If you are like most, it is hard to know where to start. I’m not qualified to give the best response to the #FergusonDecision. Not because I’m “white”, ignorant, have no background as a police officer, and have never been arrested (although all of those are certainly true to an extent). I honestly don’t know what ... Read More »
Buffer Practice beforehand or your private errors will become public blunders. That statement pains me to write as much as it pains you to read it. When did you last give a speech that you failed to practice or rehearse by yourself? If I’m describing you, imagine the impact a lack of practice had on your audience–on their interest, comprehension, ... Read More »
Buffer Veterans Day reminds us of our debt to veterans and the sacrifices they made for us and our country. First of all, I would like to say thank you. Thanks veterans for your sacrifice. Thank you for your selflessness. Thanks for bravely serving to give us freedom. Yet Veterans Day can frustrate us at times. Let me explain. Fall flashes before ... Read More »
Buffer People listen to you with their eyes before you even begin to speak. Yes, I meant to write that. People listen with all their other senses before you, as a speaker, even begin to talk. So how in the world do you have a chance to influence their opinion, if they’ve already formed it before you speak? The answer ... Read More »
Buffer As I said in a previous post, content without application may puff up, but it rarely transforms. Let that one sink in for a minute. I will never forget a conference that I attended with my wife in the Southeastern part of the United States (I’m not disclosing the exact location in order to guard the identify of the ... Read More »
BradBridges.Net Strategic Leadership
