Picture this scenario…
You talk in boardrooms, on stages, in high-stakes moments. You can’t afford to speak unconsciously – unaware of the cost of wasted time speaking to people who can’t walk out!
You are surrounded by people who depend on your voice – and terrified to critique it. That’s how you might become blind to your own speaking.
Abide by my minimalist and maybe even offensive quotes in order to be heard, respected, and trusted.
🎤 “Shut up!” ➤ This idea offends because you believe leadership lives in talking. Often, it lives in stopping. Said in a kinder way, “Be quiet and/or pause more.” If you learn to speak less, you’ll discover you’re heard more – not because you shortened your monologue, but because you widened the room for processing and meaning.
🎤 “A compelling presentation is never just about your data.” ➤ Your numbers make your team informed, but context makes you memorable. You do need to share your data, but if you don’t add in your stories, examples, anecdotes, digestible stats, and maybe even props and visuals… your info will not be retained.
🎤 “Don’t wing it!” ➤ This quote is my indictment to our busy-executive culture. Do not assume (assume is my least favorite word) that your brilliance compensates for your audience’s time! Please do some prep. Know whom you’re talking to and what will bring value to them. By doing your homework you will design messages that inform, provoke, and more than anything else, mobilize.
So be offended.
- Good! I hope this is a wake-up call with a twist.
- These quotes aren’t insults.
- They are reminders on how to be transformative communicators.
Fantastic! Please keep these pearls of wisdom coming. Perhaps you could also add “read the room.” I was operating one day and the anesthesiologist was repeatedly commenting about how much his property taxes were. Mind you he was doing this in front of operating room personnel who made less in a year than his property taxes. I desperately tried to veer the conversation to another topic but he persisted. i then added, “Frank, SHUT UP!” He looked at me (wearing his surgical mask) as if I had shot his dog. Later, in the operating room lounge he confronted me about my words. I replied that in front of his peers this was an acceptable conversation but in front of the O.R. staff, it was highly insulting and misplaced. Know your audience and read the room.
Respectfully.
Michael – What a great add! It is so important to “read the room”. Did Frank ever get better at this concept? It is annoying and possibly embarrassing when a leader misses the mark to this extent.
Your comment reminds me of when something like this happened at a networking event. Jordan asked Zoey, “How’s your family?” Zoey then talked for 20 minutes about her children and grandchildren. Jordan later told me, “I don’t have kids. I really wanted children and I found this conversation to be unpleasant.”
Thanks for your comment!