New Summary Available for The Leader’s Guide to Speaking with Presence

Oct. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- In order for leaders to gain the enthusiastic support of their organizations, they must first be able to convey meaningful messages with authoritative presences. In The Leader’s Guide to Speaking with Presence, executive coach John Baldoni demonstrates how leaders can perfect the art of communication to become more effective within their organizations. Through a series of tips and techniques, Baldoni teaches readers how to both craft and deliver the kinds of speeches that truly resonate with audiences.

Communication is the key to effective leadership. In order for leaders to improve their ability to speak with clarity and authority, they should consider the following concepts:

1. Craft a speech as one would a piece of music. Like music, speeches should be enjoyable to listen to. An effective speech has a dynamic opening, fluctuates in tone and tempo, and ends on a high note.

2. Always acknowledge the audience. Whether a speech is rehearsed or spontaneous, leaders must begin by acknowledging the audience's presence through eye contact and a warm smile.

3. Banish stage fright by adopting a "welcome persona." Leaders can overcome their fear of public speaking by imagining that they are the host and the audience members are their guests. This technique can offer leaders a feeling of control over the situation.

4. Ensure proper posture. When giving a speech, leaders must stand up straight, breathe deeply, and project their voices to cultivate a leadership presence on stage.

5. Carefully construct PowerPoint content and then rehearse the presentation's delivery. Effective PowerPoint presentations are comprised of slides with a balanced amount of information on them, which are used as launching pads to topics instead of scripts to be read verbatim.

6. Use stories. Stories not only make speeches more memorable, but also illustrate important points. Leaders can look to their organizations, the news, or history for relevant stories to weave into their speeches.

7. Spend time with employees. Effective leaders spend time mingling with their employees in the cafeteria or during office hours to cultivate relationships and support and to identify what is really going on within their organizations.

8. Leverage the energy of the room. When following someone else's dynamic presentation, leaders should work to keep the positive energy flowing by referencing the previous speaker's speech, being familiar with their own material, and keeping their speeches short and sweet.

9. Be clear and direct. Effective leaders avoid nuance at all costs and instead tell their people the reality of a given situation.

10. Effective speeches are meticulously crafted. The best way for leaders to project their leadership presence in front of their audiences is by spending time carefully researching, crafting, editing, and rehearsing their speeches beforehand.

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