Leadership

Buffer Everyone battles arrogance at some level. Yes…even you and me. Does that statement frustrate you? If so, I get it. It frustrates me as well. You know why? We all struggle with arrogance. We hate admitting that we don’t know it all or can’t do everything. When the skills of others supersede our own, we feel inferior. We hate ... Read More »

Buffer Evaluation stinks. Better said, we think it does. Taking intentional steps to evaluate our public speaking scares the life out of many of us. I’ll never forget the first time someone evaluated my public speaking. It hurt. I felt bloodied and beaten down. Then I realized the gift I had just received. I needed their feedback. Their evaluation kept ... Read More »

Buffer Thanks Stuart Scott! Thanks for all the ways you enriched our lives. You taught us lessons we can only hope to apply half as well as you over the next few decades. You walked with us. You inspired us. You died Sunday and we all still find ourselves in a collective shock. I could tell endless stories about Stuart ... Read More »

Buffer A guest post by Marc Schelske. I’ve been a professional speaker for… well…  a little more than 20 years now. I’m closing in on a thousand presentations. In two decades I experienced a series of stages. Maybe some of these are familiar to you: There was the “Karaoke stage” where I tried speaking in the style and tone of ... Read More »

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 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 »