Feature Article - January 2009

The Linguistics of Leadership:

What we can learn from presidential -- you know -- speaking skills

                                                                                                                                                  by Tom Davidson

The public speaking skills of President Barack H. Obama and former President George W. Bush are about as far apart as their politics.  No matter what your political persuasion, you will certainly agree that Obama has a way with words, while Bush’s are lampooned. 

From his persistent mispronunciation of the word “nuclear” as “nucular” and dozens of other misspeaks and malapropisms, Bush’s verbal legacy has been less than stellar.  No Capitol Hill roast was complete during the 43rd president’s tenure without an impersonator butchering the English language and fumbling his delivery.  Bush even poked fun at himself about this reputation during commissioning ceremonies this month of the USS George H.W. Bush, where he quoted from an old letter sent by his father to a friend, reading: "You should see Georgie now. Whenever I come home, he greets me and talks a blue streak, sentences disjointed, of course."  Late Night with David Letterman will have to find a new shtick to replace “Great Moments in Presidential Speeches,” easy fodder for the show’s producers.

Obama’s verbal dexterity has been a clear-cut contrast, part of his legacy even before he took office a few days ago.  Perhaps the most talked about single-person reaction to his charismatic style came from MSNBC’s Chris Matthews when he famously fawned, “…the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech.  My, I felt this thrill going up my leg,” after the primary elections.  But he has not been the only one mesmerized by the president’s elocution skills.  Hundreds (maybe thousands) of interviews on the National Mall during inauguration ceremonies drove home the differences with enraptured onlookers.  While there are many reasons to be swept up in the moment, his verbal dexterity was chief among them.

Not just for presidents, the lesson is relevant to all leaders.  Your job is to mobilize teams in pursuit of a goal, and people are strongly influenced -- one way or another -- by the way their leaders communicate.  Like it or not, this means that if you want to maximize your impact and get the best results, you have to be an eloquent spokesperson.  If not, your team is likely to be uninspired, misaligned, or alienated.  Even worse, you risk your most valuable asset – your credibility.

According to Speaking Coach Susan Trivers, eloquence has three major parts:

Content:  You must know the content of your material “inside and out.”  On the outside, you have to be extraordinarily well versed in the subject matter itself.  Your expertise has to shine through.  Too many presenters rely on last minute research and a superficial treatment of their topics.  If you don’t have that knowledge, it will be self evident to your audience.  But there is another level of content that is equally important, which is on the inside.  Your personal perspective, insight, and inner knowledge are also valuable to your audience.  Susan recommends putting your wisdom in “buckets” to help organize them to provide your unique content on the subject. 

Confidence:  While many people may “fear” public speaking, most executives are far from fearful.  It is more likely that you may be “uncomfortable” with your readiness to speak for any number of reasons.  Preparation and practice are only part of the solution.  “You have to know that you are the right person to be speaking to this audience at the right time,” said Susan.  It is this mindset that is essential to confident delivery because you will be (and thus appear) more “comfortable in your own skin.”   

Connection:  Many executives develop their messages from their point of view, not the audience’s.  While this is only natural, if the message doesn’t speak to their interests, needs, or concerns, then it is difficult to make a meaningful connection with them.  “You have to ask yourself, ‘What is the audience’s perception on this matter, and come at the topic from that direction,’” she explained.  “What do they see as the pain point?”  Each person in the audience needs to have a sense that somehow the speaker is speaking only to them. 

To improve your elocution skills, consider the following:

• Observe and replicate the behaviors of effective speakers in the public eye.
• Interview speakers you admire about their skills and how they learned them.
• Take courses that include video recording and professional feedback.
• Join Toastmasters International or attend National Speakers Association meetings.
• Audio tape your half of telephone conversations, and rate your delivery.
• Practice formal presentations on camera or in front of a mirror.
• Hire a speaking coach.

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