The Boss of You

I’m one of those fortunate (or perhaps foolhardy) folks who has never experienced the sheer terror many people associate with public speaking. I attribute that lack of fear to my father’s vocation — he was a minister in the United Church of Canada, and so public speaking was an integral part of his job. Not only that, but we kids were frequently called upon to fill in for absent scripture readers, prayer leaders, and other laypeople who fell ill or were otherwise unable to fulfill their duties at the front of the church, so I grew up learning how to speak slowly and clearly into a mike.

However, I never really learned the art of off-the-cuff, personal speaking. Emira and I are going to have to do more of that when it comes time to promote our book, so I’m keeping an eye out for good resources on public speaking. Here are a few of my favourites.

• Gail Larsen, whom I had the good fortune to meet a couple of years back at a conference, teaches “Real Speaking”, which she describes thusly: “When you have something important to communicate, your delivery is powerful only when you find what is real and heartfelt to you. Then your words are backed by purpose and passion. You create a connection with others when they don’t just listen - they hear what you’re saying.” I agree wholeheartedly with her approach, and if you get a chance to take a workshop with her, jump at it. She’s amazing, and a profoundly authentic person herself. (Oh, and I highly recommend her email newsletter — it’s low-volume and high-quality.)
• Guy Kawasaki has a lot of great things to say about public speaking on his blog. Here’s a good intro: “How to Get a Standing Ovation”. (Oh, and if you just want a hit of pure inspiration, go watch Majora Carter, whom Guy calls “as good as Steve Jobs”.
• Jeff Veen has a nice little blog post on presentations, with tips that hold true for anything from sales pitches, to conference presentations, to speeches.

How about you? Any tips or resources to share? Post ‘em in the comments.