Four Public Speaking Tips for Leaders
CBN.com Whether you’ve served in a position of leadership for many years or just a few weeks, public speaking is an unspoken but important aspect of the job. A solid background in oration can make the difference between a good leader and a great leader. It can make the difference between falling short of or achieving your goals. Improve your speaking skills and your leadership skills for the better by utilizing the following suggestions.
Prepare Your Voice
The pitch, tone, pace and inflection of your voice can have a significant impact on your audience. Speak slowly and deliberately, voicing entire and distinct sounds. Exercise breath control and record your speech to hear your own delivery first. As a leader, the command you have over your voice alone can help you to command a room.
Create a Script
Utilize notes when delivering your speech, but remember to reference, not read your words. Providing yourself with written, aural hints (such as writing out stage directions) can provide focus, but remember to allow for some flexibility in your presentation. A leader that is well prepared but is able to improvise when necessary is a rare and respected quality.
Take Your Audience on a Journey
Inspirational leaders captivate their audience. They ensure that their message is not only received, but also appreciated. Make your speech more memorable by keeping your audience engaged at all points of your discussion. Provide an outline at the beginning to structure audience expectations, and use repetition to reiterate important thoughts. Analogies or metaphors can be helpful to paint a better picture with your words, and occasional dramatics (such as appropriate hand gestures) can be used to emphasize selected content.
End on a Solid Note
The greatest impact of your speech often rests in its final moments. To finish strong, build up to a climax, reiterate your major points, and end your speech on a powerful sentence. Some of history’s greatest leaders came to be through their ability to connect with their followers through words. In crafting and delivering a compelling speech, you’ll be able to invoke the same, solid sense of guidance.
