PowerPoint is corporate karaoke
By and large, a real leader delivers a speech or a talk not to impress, but to express. A real leader doesn’t attempt to master presentation technology, but makes a difference, endorses a dream, nurtures an idea, and follows a vision. A real leader changes the way people think. Essentially he forms messages that encourage people to think differently, to influence and inspire them, and ultimately to alter the way they feel, think and take action today or in the near future.
You’re a real leader if your leadership goes hand-in-hand with your ability to get your message across, no matter what the size of your audience is. You learn how to sell yourself and your ideas by mastering the strategies, skills, and techniques that great leaders use.
Think for a moment about the most powerful speech you’ve heard a leader deliver of late. Was it Michelle Obama’s endorsement speech of Hillary Clinton’s presidency in last week’s Democratic National Convention? Or was it former US president Bill Clinton’s endearing storytelling of his and Hillary’s love story? Or is it President Duterte’s first state of the nation address? What makes such a speech — and its speaker —great and memorable is likely a mix of authenticity, stage presence, confident delivery, and — above all — an emotional and motivational message that tugs the heartstrings.
Think, too, of sitting through hugely boring speeches that make your mind wander and think about more exciting topics or impel you to check your text messages or email on your cell phone. And then there are the good PowerPoint presentations with oodles of well-chosen photos or colorful infographics. These are good while you’re in the presentation venue but a day after you only remember the great visuals utilized and forget what the main points of the presentation were.
Enter Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint, a matter-of-fact read on “how to speak so people listen” by Christopher Witt, a speech consultant and coach who explains his techniques and tips with anecdotes and examples. For sure, nobody ever got out of a great speech saying, “I loved her presentation wardrobe,” or “I loved the use of background music to accompany his words,” or “I loved the way he used PowerPoint.” Yet all too often, you rely on PowerPoint and tools like it to carry you through a presentation — tools that lessen your impact.
As Witt says, “Call PowerPoint what it really is — corporate karaoke. You endure it even though it bores audiences, trivializes content, and pushes speakers to the side of the stage where they interact with their slides, not with the audience.” As such, real leaders want nothing to do with it.
There are four essential elements of a real leader’s speech: a noteworthy event, a great person, a compelling message, and a masterful delivery. Witt’s list is a modern-day telling of the four principles of Demosthenes, the father of Greek oratory. You have to be cognizant of them, put them to effective use to make certain your speeches serve your and your audience’s purpose well — minus today’s ubiquitous PowerPoint.
• Be a great person. To be a great person, you don’t have to be the president of the Philippines or even the president of your company. A great person has experience, passion, character and a sense of humor. You simply have to be the best you can be in all you do. The way you are perceived is a significant element of your message. You should be genuine, take a stand on issues, and project a clear identity. As Witt declares, the best way to be mediocre — and so ignored — is to imitate others, avoid saying anything controversial and hide the things about you that make you unique. “Speak every word into the eyes and heart of one other person,” Lee Glickstein, founder of Speaking Circles Int., advises.
• Be picky about which events you speak at. Choose the events where you can do the most good and avoid events that cheapen your image or do not contribute to your positive reputation. Ensure everything else that happens aligns with and supports your message, and don’t get involved in events that run counter to your principles. Also try and tweak the event so it aligns with the objectives you’re working towards. Sometimes this will be feasible, other times it won’t but you definitely should try and use your influence in this way. And remember, you always have the right to opt out. Witt states, “Leaders, like novelists, have at best only a few big things to say. Wisdom consists in not saying them ad nauseam.”
• Be an influence and an inspiration. Have a compelling message. Your most important job is to motivate and inspire an audience toward a grand mission or vision, not simply to transfer facts and data. You are the message. Who you are is always inseparable from what you’re trying to say. Your character always shapes the message listeners hear. Reverend Billy Graham avers, “When a brave person takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.”
To get your message across, you have to ensure what you’re saying is in sync with who you are. This is the reason why Bill Gates could never give a speech on “Why software should be free,” or Donald Trump would struggle to give a speech on “The benefits of a low profile in business.” Messaging involves best practices like focusing on one big idea, opening and closing strong, using storytelling techniques, plain language and repeating key points.
• Be a masterful presenter. Let your passion shine through. There’s no room for real leadership if you’re a timid speaker. Be an advocate and take a stand, ooze charisma, live in the present moment, be interested in what you’re saying, be bold, and be different.
Indeed, there are presentations that are better when you put the slides away and just talk. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech would have been diminished with PowerPoint slides.
While the title of the tome reads like it’s anti-PowerPoint, Witt doesn’t take cheap shots at PowerPoint. We have to be thankful to the person or group who brought us the technology. I admit to using it in many speaking engagements. Witt’s lone objective is to give you the fundamentals is preparing and delivering great speeches apt for real leaders sans the distraction of PowerPoint.
* * *
Email bongosorio@gmail.com for comments, questions or suggestions. Thank you for communicating. Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint is available at National Book Store.
