The Leading Edge: Step It Up! Follow These Steps and People Will Follow You
What distinguishes good speakers from great speakers? Leadership. As my friend and mentor John Maxwell reminds us, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This includes speaking. Why? Because speakers are leaders, too.
To make the shift from being a good speaker to becoming a great speaker, or from being a great speaker to becoming even better, you have to step it up! Being part of the John Maxwell Team, I have learned from John himself and other mentors different ways to continue to improve my speaking abilities. When you follow these simple steps consistently and diligently, people will want to follow you.
Step Up: Begin with you. Whether you are fairly new to speaking or a seasoned pro, your primary purpose is to influence people. Of course, the most important person you will ever influence is you. If you can’t lead yourself, you won’t be able to lead anyone else. Your team members might listen to you because you’re the boss, but they will not be influenced by what you do or what you say.
Step Into It: Put your audience first. Most of us know that to really understand another person, you have to walk a mile in their shoes. Before you even think about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, you must first value that person. Then you must step into their reality and see things from their perspective, so that you serve them from their perspective rather than from your own. Remember: always put the audience first.
Step Out: Lead with stories. After death and taxes, our single biggest fear is the fear of speaking in public. That’s right! Did you know that even seasoned professionals get stage fright? However, they have a secret to overcome it. Seasoned speakers know that the best way to blast past fear is to speak about something they really care about. Often, they do it through the use of stories. Not just any kind of story. They use personal stories. That’s the key.
Years ago, I was invited to present a keynote for an international leadership conference. I was one of a few speakers from the U.S. and I sensed an anti-U.S. sentiment among some of the attendees. Moments before I spoke, I decided to leave my prepared notes on the podium. As I walked to the edge of the platform, I was sure of one thing: I needed to share my personal stories. For nearly an hour, I spoke from my heart, letting my passion lead the way while sharing stories from my life to illustrate key points. I was on fire and so was the audience. We all want to hear speakers who are fired up and passionate. Here’s what I know: when you are on fire, people will come from miles around to watch you burn.
Step On It: Learn from the greats. Dance pioneer Martha Graham reminds us that it takes about 10 years to make a master dancer. In truth, it takes about that long to master anything. The best speakers spend hundreds of hours perfecting a single word, phrase, transition, or gesture to become masters of nuance.
Study great speakers to pick up on their nuances. Study how they move their hands, how they walk or stand still, how they turn their head to convey a particular effect or to underscore a message. Pay close attention to what they say. Also, pay attention to what they don’t say. Study their pauses and how they use silence. There are dozens of nuances. Master a few of them. Then step on it to make the shift from good to great and beyond.
Step Back: Share the wealth. The true measure of a great leader is his or her devotion to growing others. Whether you are a keynote speaker, coach, trainer, doctor, salesperson, or pastor, step back from your own work so you can sow into others. When you mentor others, be sure to pass on material that is accurate, insightful, and meaningful, because at the end of the day, what you’re really sharing is the wealth of who you are.
Becoming great at anything won’t happen overnight. In fact, overnight successes are the result of many years of hard work. If you’re consistent and diligent in following these steps, people will want to follow you.
BIO
Gloria J. Burgess is a speaker, consultant, executive coach, author, mentor, and designer of unique, innovative learning experiences. A former executive in business, child welfare, and education, she enjoys mentoring adults and youth to strengthen their voices and to use their God-given strengths and talents. A dynamic, sought-after speaker, Gloria has presented keynotes and workshops on six continents, including the South African Embassy, Kenyan Parliament, SANKOFA: Young Leaders of Color Institute in Ghana, Boeing, Microsoft, AT&T, Starbucks, Google, Women’s International Network, Casey Family Programs, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A Founding Member of the John Maxwell Team, Gloria is also a Peer-to-Peer Teaching Partner. Her focus is leadership, speaking, and personal growth.
