We Are All Leaders
While watching President Obama deliver the 2010 State of the Union Address, the notion of what makes an effective leader crept into my thoughts. As a result, I did a little research on just what is meant by the term leader.
Definitions vary, but many have common descriptive elements.
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” – Dwight Eisenhower
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”- Napoleon Bonaparte
“To lead people, walk beside them. …As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate. …When the best leader’s work is done, the people say ‘We did it ourselves!”– Lao-tsu
All of these descriptions seem to support the notion of leadership as a process of social influence requiring the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of common goals.
Clearly, the President’s State of the Union address could fit many of these definitions. However, in the realm of presentation skills, Mr. Obama was doing what many of us do whenever we engage clients, prospects, senior management, peers or direct reports–earning trust and inspiring confidence.
The State of the Union speech was directed at two key audiences. The President was seeking Congress’ support in working more collaboratively to implement a variety of important initiatives and re-affirming his administration’s vision and priorities with the American public.
Like any effective presenter, the President had:
- a core message
- a logical sequence of key ideas
- an “ask” (what he needed from his audiences)
His situation, although on a considerable larger stage, was not all that different from what many presenters encounter–a divided audience, where some members are advocates and others are antagonists. Performing effectively requires preparing the most compelling and persuasive arguments for both sides.
While this did not occur during the President’s address, presenters have to be prepared for unexpected situations such as surprise outbursts, unanticipated questions or very recent, new developments.
Much has been written and said about leadership. The main point for most of us is never to lose sight of the fact that whenever presenting, we are displaying our leadership style–the manner in which we:
- organize our thoughts
- project confidence and enthusiasm
- demonstrate our knowledge and preparation in handling questions, objections and issues that have the potential to derail the best laid plans
- help others become comfortable with different points of view
Monday, February 1st, 2010 | 2:52 pm
Filed under Communication.
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