Just Survive? or Thrive? The Challenges and Opportunities for Leaders Communicating in the Digital Age

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I’m a child of the 1970’s.

I grew up in the “latch-key” generation, a Gen-X cohort of kids who came home from school to an empty house because our parents were working. The pop culture image of our generation looks like a child returning from school on their own, with their front door key hanging around their neck, spending their afternoons without parental supervision.

I remember walking home from school – which was miles away and across multiple  busy roads – when I was seven years old.  Coming home, I would make myself a melted cheese and ham sandwich in our microwave oven, which was the size of a small refrigerator.  After eating, I would head outside and see who else was around and together, my latch-key crew and I would play and roam free until the sun went down and our parents called us in for dinner.

My generation was an independent lot. Agile, resilient and self-reliant.  We were self-starters and had to cope with figuring things out on our own. These characteristics have served us well over the decades and are especially useful in our current day and age, where change and transformation are around every corner and nothing stays the same.

Especially in business.

According to the 2024 Pulse of Change Report by Accenture, the rate of change affecting businesses has risen steadily since 2019, by 183% over the past four years and by 33% in 2024 alone. C-suite executives polled in the report anticipate an even faster rate of change in 2025, and more than half say they are not fully prepared to respond.  In the September 2024 version of the Report, their main concern was in keeping up with advancements in tech and innovation.

When it comes to the lived daily version of these advancements, you know what this feels like… the near-constant barrage of app updates, subscription reminders, password prompts, cyber security threats and new software and gadgets to learn about.  And let’s not forget about the star of the show…AI…which is a total change-agent and will continue to be so for many years to come.

And, I must admit, despite my resilient Gen X DNA, this last technology leaves me feeling overwhelmed and exhausted when I try to figure out how to use it.

When this happens, I just want to curl up and hide under my duvet and remember the heydays of my analog existence, a time before the digital age, when I relied on my hands, my heart and my common sense to get things done.

But alas! this article isn’t about AI or about the glory days of being a Gen Xer, it’s about how advancements in tech and innovation have changed how we communicate with each other.

And about how now, more than ever before, as technology keeps evolving and opening up new ways for us to reach each other without the constraints of physical distance, leaders from every sector are being called on to speak more frequently, to more people, on more platforms.

Off the top of my head, here are just a few examples of where leaders are being asked to communicate these days:

Video Messages, Virtual Presentations, Fireside Chats, Webinars, TED-like Talks, Toasts, Elevator Pitches, Startup Pitches, Staff Updates, Conference Keynotes, Retirement Speeches, Impromptu Speaking, Sales Pitches, Battle Calls, Inspirational Speeches, Motivational Speeches, Educational Talks, Panel Discussions, Town Hall Presentations, Television Interviews, Podcast Interviews, LinkedIn Live, Facebook Live, University Lectures, Book Pitches, Welcome Speeches…

So, with all of these communication options what does a day in the life of a leader of the digital age look like?  Let me paint the picture:

…It’s 08:50 am on a Monday morning and you’ve got just 10 minutes before your online meeting begins.  You’re presenting the financial updates of the quarter to the board and the stakes are high.  You grab your fresh cup of coffee, your notes and the printouts of the PowerPoint presentation that you’ve spent the whole weekend working on with your team, and head over to your home office desk.  Hanging on your chair is your business blazer which you forgot to iron because you had your mind on other things, but you put it on anyway so that you are dressed to impress. You sit down and look over your notes one last time, preparing yourself for what will be a long and intensive call.  It’s 08:59 am and you join the Teams meeting ready to present.

Fast forward to two hours later, the call is over and it went well by your estimation. You get up, have a quick bathroom break, head into the kitchen to grab something that will give you fuel and return to your desk. You sit down and get your head around what this next call will be about – an interview for a podcast episode about your area of expertise. You check for visible sweat rings around your armpits – there are none, which is a relief because you don’t have time to dart away to put on more deodorant, so you clear your throat, drink a swig of the cold coffee that is still on your desk from earlier that morning and join the call.

It ends 10-minutes behind schedule so you’re late to the next item on your agenda, a live-streamed appearance at a company-wide town hall…

I’ll let your imagination fill in the rest of the details of this hypothetical leader who is doing the digital communication dance.

Does it sound familiar?

Is there a version of this energetic dance that is happening to you in your work-life?

If you’re like most leaders of the digital age, this fast-paced communication maneuvering is becoming the norm.

So what are the challenges of working like this and of communicating more frequently, to more people, on more platforms?

And what are the opportunities?  How can you make the most out of this new-normal and learn how to thrive instead of just survive when you speak to your peers, teams and stakeholders in back-to-back communications?

Here is a sample of the challenges that I see in the leaders and teams that I work with around the world and the corresponding practical “opportunities”:

Challenge # 1:

“I don’t have the energy or the stamina to speak so much”

Communication is a physical endeavor, requiring the use of your entire body, heart and soul.  From head to toe everything is engaged and in order to communicate on the level that I am describing here in this article, I invite you to reframe how you think about this topic.  Consider it a high performance activity and as with all activities of this kind, you need certain things to make it happen: good physical fitness, healthy food and nutrition and regular rest and recovery.

THE OPPORTUNITY: Treat your speaking engagements like high performance events. Keep up your fitness, eat balanced and healthy meals, drink plenty of water and rest and recover in between bouts of speaking.

Challenge # 2:

“I feel tense when I speak, and I can’t relax”

Tension is the enemy of connection and is the biggest culprit for inaudible delivery and lackluster speaking, which puts people to sleep and sucks the life out of the room. In order to defeat it, you must warm up your body and get loose and supple so that you can be more present.

THE OPPORTUNITY: Minutes before you speak to your audience and in a private setting, do a full body shake-out to release your tension.  Walk around, swing your arms, roll your shoulders and move your whole body. If you really want to switch up your energy, turn on your favorite song and dance!  Releasing tension this way will make you more present and help you to feel more embodied and authentic.

Challenge # 3:

“My voice hurts and I feel tired all over”

Too much of anything isn’t good. Fatigue, over using your voice and bad posture from sitting at your desk all day will negatively affect your speaking. At best, you will get through your meetings and check them off of your to-do list; but at worst, you will damage your voice, be unclear and inaudible when you speak and feel totally wiped out.

THE OPPORTUNITY: Schedule your speaking engagements so that you have short recovery periods in between each communication. Anything from five to fifteen minutes would be ideal. During your recovery moments, rest your voice, drink water at room temperature and get up and move your body.  When you do, you’ll return to your next call revitalized and ready to go.

Challenge # 4:

“I can’t authentically connect with my audiences, it feels forced and artificial”

Effective communicators make their audiences feel seen, heard and valued no matter what platform they are speaking on.  When they speak, they engage their full instruments, skillfully blending ‘what’ they say with ‘how’ they say it. Their presence, breath, voice and movement come together and seamlessly create a spark of connection in the hearts and minds of their listeners. In today’s busy communication landscape, it’s challenging to create these sparks. With back-to-back speaking and so many different types of audiences and platforms to speak on, what gives?

THE OPPORTUNITY: Stand up when you speak. This simple physical act will change how you show up in front of your audiences.  Your full instrument will be more engaged and your speaking will feel more embodied and authentic.

Challenge # 5:

“I don’t have time to learn new skills”

To survive in the hive of today’s communication outlets, you need to know a bevy of skills. These include everything from the basics of how to create compelling content and how to deliver it, to advanced skills about strategic storytelling, how to rehearse, how to speak on camera and how to maintain your energy and stamina both in live speaking engagements and online. These days, communication is a bit like an Olympic sport requiring massive skill, effort and stamina. And to stay on top – don’t miss the bus.

THE OPPORTUNITY: Be bold, get curious and be proactive. Look for training programs which support you to learn the skills that you need in order to become an agile and resilient communicator of the digital age. The consequences of “missing the bus” are that you will not only be left behind, but you will be stuck in ineffective habits which will drain your energy, make you into a lackluster speaker and lead to burnout.

So, what does success look like?

As a way to close this article and to summarize what I have shared with you so far, I’d like to revisit the example about the hypothetical leader of the digital age going through a typical work-day morning.  Let’s have some fun and revamp that story with the suggestions that I have made:

…It’s 08:50 am on a Monday morning and you’re feeling refreshed and vibrant after a good night’s sleep and a wholesome breakfast. You’ve got just 10 minutes before your online meeting begins. So you spend five minutes warming up and shaking out your body so that you’re ready to be present and engaged with your audience. You’re presenting the financial updates of the quarter to the board and the stakes are high. You grab a handful of cashew nuts and a glass of room temperature water, your notes and the printouts of the PowerPoint presentation that you’ve spent the whole weekend working on with your team, and head over to your home office standing desk.  Hanging on your chair is your wrinkle-free business blazer which you put on so that you are dressed to impress. Getting into a comfortable standing position you look over your notes one last time, preparing yourself for what will be a long and intensive call.  It’s 08:59 am and you join the Teams meeting ready to present.

Fast forward to two hours later, the call is over and it went well by your estimation. You have scheduled a 15-minute recovery break in between your meetings, so you leave your office and head outside to your garden where you can soak up some sunshine and breathe fresh air.  You walk around, looking at the colors, shapes and forms in the garden and enjoy the moment.  You think about how you want to show up for your next call, then go back inside. You have a quick bathroom break, head into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and your favorite high-energy snack that you’ve stocked up on, and return to your desk. You feel confident about what this next call will be about – an interview for a podcast episode about your area of expertise. You check for visible sweat rings around your armpits – there are none because you are using a new anti-perspirant deodorant which works like a dream, so you do a quick vocal warm up, gently clearing your throat, drink a swig of your water and join the call.

It ends 10-minutes ahead of schedule because you were so well prepared that you could answer all of the questions effortlessly. You now have time for another recovery break before the next item on your agenda, a live-streamed appearance at a company-wide town hall… and you can’t wait for it to start because you know it’s going to feel great to authentically connect with your peers, teams and stakeholders…

Leaders, when it comes to the work of speaking more frequently, to more people, on more platforms, do you want to just survive or do you want to start to thrive?

I know what I’d choose.

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Dr. Laura Penn is an international expert in the speaking arts and leadership communication. Founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland, she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age. International keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, author of four books, writer for UN Today, the official magazine of the United Nations and host of the Leadership Speaking Radio podcast, Dr. Penn is available for customized keynotes at leadership, future-of-work and peak-performance related-conferences and summits and virtual and in-person master classes for teams.

Speechcraft & Storytelling, Two Communication Skills Every Leader of the Digital Age Must Know

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Since the dawn of the digital age, the options for how to communicate with others to share messages, news and information have grown exponentially.  From a legion of social media outlets, to a wide selection of different online meeting rooms, to ever-evolving digital technology such as virtual reality and holograms, the options for communication available today are copious and astounding.

Their impact has been to connect humanity on a scale never seen before. However, there are always two sides of a coin. The ancient Greeks said this best in stating that with “every gift there is a curse” and with “every curse there is a gift”. 

The “gift” is clear, but the “curse” is that now more than ever, leaders are being asked to communicate with their peers, teams and stakeholders on an accelerated and  extensive level, requiring more time, effort and skill than ever before.  

Because of this, the days of passively standing behind a lectern and droning on while presenting, or slouching down in a chair and mumbling while speaking in meetings are over.  The bar has been raised, high, and leaders are now being called to elevate how they communicate with their audiences.  The time has come for them to step into the best versions of themselves as communicators, there is nowhere left to hide.

To survive in the jungle of communication outlets, today’s leaders need to know a bevy of skills. These include everything from the basics of how to create compelling content and how to deliver it, to advanced skills about how to rehearse, how to speak on camera and how to authentically connect with their audiences both in live performances and online.

For many leaders, it can feel overwhelming to figure out what skills they need to learn and how to begin.  That’s why, in order to fast-track and learn the skills which are needed most urgently, I recommend getting started with the two giants of effective communication: speechcraft and storytelling.

Speechcraft is the foundation of all speaking. It’s about what is said and how it is spoken.  Put more simply, it’s about content and delivery, and like the foundation of a house, it is the supporting frame on top of which everything else is built. 

Learning speechcraft is about getting good at creating content that serves the needs and interests of the listeners.  At its core is understanding that “it’s not about you, it’s about your audience”. Therefore, the more examples, anecdotes and details that are shared which are relevant and interesting to the audience, the better. Speechcraft is also about how content is spoken. Here, the focus is on developing PRESENCE – personal energy that conveys openness and accessibility; VOICE – that matches the feeling and the spirit of the content; and BODY – that moves congruently with what is being said and reveals meaning non-verbally.

Storytelling is the second giant of effective communication. It is the enchanted horse that speechcraft rides on into the hearts and minds of the audience. It is the vessel through which authentic communication happens and when done properly, allows listeners to understand the content on a visceral level. The skill is to re-learn how to tell stories. This craft is something that is native to everyone, it’s in our human DNA, but unfortunately, by the time many adults join the workforce, the skill of storytelling has often evolved into “job-speak”. This, more terse and intellectualized version of storytelling shares facts, figures and knowledge, which paint the “frame” of the content, but the “picture” is often missing because the details, emotional aspects and  the sensory nuances which true storytelling entails, are left out. Therefore, the work for leaders is to get good at telling stories again with these important aspects included.  

When performed together, speechcraft and storytelling are the magic beans that lead to the kingdom in the clouds. The powerful impact of their use can be transferred into any communication medium, from social media platforms to live conferences. They are a communication superduo which every leader must know.

In today’s plugged-in world, we need more leaders who are skilled in speechcraft and storytelling so that they can speak with impact, authenticity and human connection to any audience at any time.  My invitation is for leaders to begin the work of up-skilling in these essential communication skills and the many other advanced skills of leadership communication so that every speaking performance is heightened and exemplary. 

Whether it’s a staff update delivered online, a video message to the organization, or a conference speech in front of a thousand people, when leaders show up as the best versions of themselves through effective communication, their message lives, and when their message lives, they help to make the world a better place, one talk at a time.

Leaders and Teams, Beware…All that Glitters is not Gold

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Dear Reader, there are times in your professional life when you get a kick up the rear and fall down. Someone or something creeps up behind you and shoves you one. Not being prepared, you stumble and fall forward. Once on the ground, you have one of two choices: Lay there in a puddle of self-pity and doubt and become immobilized, or stand up, dust yourself off and get back to work (or write a LinkedIn Article ;)!

Although often tempted to choose the first option because it’s the easiest, I always end up choosing option number two.  This choice gives you your power back because after all, you are the conductor of the symphony of your life, not external forces that kick you up the rear.

Needless to say, I was recently “knocked down” by a surprising adversary…new technology.  Call it AI, call it a “thing-a-ma-jig”, or call it a shiny object with levers and buttons that roar, klonk and bonk.  This thing won a bid for a lucrative teaching gig that I was in the running for. 

The brief was to deliver public speaking skills training to a prominent organization. Its leaders needed rapid upskilling in the craft so that they could show up as the best versions of themselves in front of their diverse audiences.  This is a typical scenario for what I do and whom I work with. But, this time, something very, very different happened.  

In the letter explaining why I didn’t get the gig, I was told that they were looking for someone who could “integrate technology and the new trendy ways of analyzing public speaking for every individual”.  

Dear Reader, I’m not a sore loser, I don’t mind losing a bid to someone else who has the same or better qualifications that I do, but I do mind losing it to someTHING else.  

Now among us, is cutting-edge technology that can measure things like your speaking speed, how many pauses you make, the number “ums” you speak and even the pitch and timbre of your tone to measure your mood.  Cool metrics for anyone who wants to measure oratory variables laboratory-style in research conditions.  What I am not convinced about is that these “trendy ways of analyzing public speaking”, let’s just call them “gadgets”, actually transform people into better public speakers.

At best, these gadgets can be useful for unskilled trainers to identify what oratory elements should be worked on. For example, the data can reveal if the speaker is within an average range or whether they are outliers, i.e. speaking “too fast” or “too slow” or having “too many” um’s and other sound fillers, etc. With unskilled trainers running the machinery, a company that offers “public speaking training” can scale because it’s the machines that paint the picture and suggest solutions, not the skills and qualifications of the trainers. 

On the flip side, although the data recorded is interesting on an intellectual-level, the problem is that it is superficial and cosmetic and it doesn’t address the root of the speaking imperfection.  This root always stems from within. For example, telling someone who speaks “too fast” to speak slower is a short-term, band-aid solution. They may be able to slow down to please the trainer in rehearsal, but to break their habit of speaking too fast, they have to rewire themselves. 

This takes time and the work is in determining why they speak so fast in the first place. Are they anxious? Do they feel unprepared? Do they have imposter syndrome? For lasting change and for authentic transformation, the work must come from within. If they are anxious, they must learn how to warm up and prepare themselves for the speaking performance so that they come in feeling more present than anxious.  If they feel unprepared, they must learn the art of rehearsal which will bring them to a place of comfort with their speaking and will reduce their anxiety. And finally, if they have imposter syndrome, they have to do the work of becoming empowered and learn how to dare to be remarkable. These “fixes” are long-term and lasting and they work.

Furthermore,  using gadgets to learn how to speak in public, makes the speaker dependent on an external source of control. Think about it, when you’re actually in front of a real audience, there won’t be any gadgets there telling you how things are going.  You’re on your own. 

To be totally honest with you, The artisan in me, recoils at the thought of learning a skill like public speaking through metrics with different colored peaks and modulations displayed on a computer screen. In my playbook, it’s embodied learning that is the secret sauce.  Feeling, doing and being the work. Trusting your body to tell you about all of the nuances that you need to be aware of regarding your speaking performance. Modulating how you breathe to power your voice, shifting the angle of your head to reach a state of authentic presence, moving your feet into the right position and unlocking your knees in order to feel grounded and in control of your body, using the resonators of your face to project sound and so much more…You hone the craft of public speaking by living it with your whole being, over time. Your body is the gadget!

The adage “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”, is relevant here. Dear Reader, give a person a technological fix to help improve public speaking and you help them for a day. Teach them the craft of public speaking using the whole body and you empower them for a lifetime.

My advice? Beware of “shiny objects” which promise you instant results and polish you up with a superficial shine. The shine wears off the very next day and you’ll be right back to where you started. 

_______________

Dr. Laura Penn is an expert in the speaking arts and in leadership communication. Founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland, she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age. Award-winning international keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, author of three books, writer for UN Today, the official magazine of the United Nations and host of the Leadership Speaking Radio podcast, Dr. Penn is available for virtual and in-person training sessions and customized keynotes.

Leaders and Teams, Let’s Stop SURVIVING as Communicators and Let’s start THRIVING

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Over the summer, I have been working on a wide variety of speaking projects with both leaders and teams, supporting them to show up as the best versions of themselves as they communicate with their peers, teams and customers.

From dynamic and live master classes in public speaking, to online intensives refining and polishing existing presentations in “Speaking Clinics”, I have had a unique opportunity to really take the temperature on what leaders and teams are needing support with right now when it comes to speaking in front of their audiences.

A theme that has come up over and over again is that most of my students are operating in a state of surviving, they are not thriving. 

Using outdated methods for creating their content (think, PowerPoint presentations and writing your script down word-for-word on the slides) and barely, if ever, rehearsing that content out loud (think, reading the slides in your head 15 minutes before you go on), they are creating mediocre speaking performances at best. Habits, sometimes really bad ones, learned over time support them to cobble together their presentations, often with tight timelines and back-to-back deliveries. It is painfully obvious that something substantial is missing here…craft.

But, more on craft in a moment, first I want to share an example of what a typical “survival” scenario looks like:  

In a recent virtual Speaking Clinic, a leader in a large organization wanted to work on the content of an upcoming presentation. It was going to take place in three weeks and would be performed in front of an audience of 200 experts in her field on a big conference stage (think, the Google stage). When I asked her about her plan for how she was going to work on the content and the delivery of her presentation, I was floored by her response:

“I was thinking that I would work on the slides about three days before the event and pull together what I have. Once I have my slides, I’ll just run them in my head before I go on stage and that’ll do.” 

(think, my jaw dropping to the floor and my eyes staring blankly at the computer screen)

Folks, I’m not going to lie, my heart literally skipped a beat and I was momentarily stunned.  I couldn’t believe how far away she was from understanding that delivering a presentation is the same as delivering a performance. Public speaking is a performing art and just like all other performing arts (think, theater, music and dance) it requires generous timing, loads of sweat equity and copious rehearsal.  To paint the picture for you, just imagine if our most well-known performers (think, Beyoncé) started working on their performances three days before they were live and rehearsed by running what they were doing in their heads moments just before they went on stage…It would be a disaster! And, it would certainly be a performance that I wouldn’t want to watch.

So, back to my brain freeze…To snap out of it, I took a deep breath and composed myself to return to my professional demeanor. I told my student to take a swig of water from her water bottle and to settle down and get comfortable.  I said “I’m going to take you back to the basics, are you ready? Let’s go!” 

And that’s exactly what we did, we went back to the basics.  I took her through the ABC’s of what the craft of public speaking entails. From content creation to delivery rehearsals, I taught her the building blocks of this magnificent art form and supported her to ROCK THE STAGE on the day of her presentation (think, jubilant applause from the audience and a feeling of ecstatic joy and relief at succeeding…and loads of positive comments and congratulations by audience members afterwards)

I want to share a sample of these basics with you here in this article, albeit a much, much briefer version than what I gave my student, but detailed enough so that you too can use craft of public speaking to stop surviving and to start thriving everytime you speak in front of your peers, teams and customers.  

Are you ready? Let’s go!

Two Buckets

The first thing that you need to know is that there are two “buckets” that you need to work from in preparing your speaking project: The bucket of your content and the bucket of your delivery.  The former is about “what” you say, and the latter is about “how” you say it.  

The Content Bucket 

Inside of this bucket are all of the elements that you need in order to create content that is compelling, robust and which stays in the hearts and minds of your audience long after you are finished speaking. 

Begin with the crucial mindset that “it’s not about you, it’s about your audience.” This is the red thread of public speaking and it should underline every communication that you give.  At its core is the principle that as a communicator, it’s not the “me” show, it’s the “we” show.  Your role in speaking in front of that audience, on that stage, on that day, in that presentation, is to surround your topic with content that is relevant and interesting to your audience.  Ask yourself: 

  1. What are the needs and interests of my audience?
  2. What do I know that can serve and support what is relevant and interesting for them?  
  3. What stories, examples and anecdotes can I share that support their needs and interests? 

As a next step and to dig deeper into what you will say, ask yourself:

“As a result of my talk, what do I want my audience to know, to feel and to do?”

Developing answers to these questions in the early stages of your content creation will support you to create audience-focused content that serves their needs and interests. 

As you continue to develop your content, use form, aka structure. The classic form is to have:

  1. A hook-line that brings your audience into the talk…it’s great if you can use a question, a challenge or a statement to get the audience’s attention and to get their minds switched on. Some examples are: 

A question: “Did you know that….?”, “Let me ask you a simple question…”, “When was the last time that you…?”; A challenge: “Get ready to…”, “Fasten your seatbelt…”, “Cross the threshold…”; A statement: “It’s no secret that…”, “You’ve probably noticed that…”, “Think about…”

  1. An introduction that sets the tone for what you will be talking about. Answer questions about who you are, what you will be talking about, why you will be talking about it and how you will be talking about it.
  1. The body of your talk goes deeper into what you set out in your introduction. The rule of three’s is a really powerful method here…three ideas that you go into depth with.
  1. The conclusion of your talk. This is the wrap up of your thoughts, it’s the “so now what…?” and the “as a result of…” .  You bring your audience out of the reverie of your thoughts back out into the real world in this section and stay on track to make the conclusion relevant to their needs and interests.

It’s important to remember that throughout all of these elements of form, you are sticking to the red thread of public speaking and making it about the audience, not about yourself. A good rule of thumb is that you should be saying many more “you’s and we’s” and much fewer “I’s and me’s”.

Folks, the Content Bucket has so much more in it, including powerful methods for how to harvest content, aka how to generate new ideas.  It also contains essential skills for how to revise and polish your content so that you end up with the best version of what you want to say. Finally, it holds the key for how to think outside-of-the-box and use different ways to present your content…besides using PowerPoint! Replacements include using flip charts to draw on, using props for show-and-tell and inviting the audience to physically participate in the experience.  This Bucket is full! But, alas, I can’t share it all here so let’s turn our attention to the second bucket:

The Delivery Bucket 

I love this bucket!  It’s where everything related to “how” you say your content lives. It’s the real nitty-gritty of the craft of public speaking and it’s got all of the skills that you need to bring your talk to life.

I have shared so much of the content of this bucket over the years in my Podcast called Leadership Speaking Radio, in my book The Public Speaking Toolbox, in the articles I write for UN Today Magazine, in my four TEDx talks and in the countless posts on LinkedIn. So, I won’t linger too long over the details, which you can find much more fleshed-out in the given resources.  Suffice it to say that there are four pillars in this bucket: 

Presence

Voice

Body

Rehearsal

I want to give you the cliff-notes of each one of these pillars here in this article so that you have the basics. Here we go…

Presence

The energy that surrounds you. Your personal energy cloud. So much of speaking in front of audiences is about managing this energy, both yours and your audience’s. The craft is in understanding that we have different types of energy and when and how to switch them on.  In short, we have energy that contracts, energy that expands and energy that is neutral. 

Those whose presence contracts are seen to be removed, internal and disconnected from the outside world (think, looking down, speaking in a whisper and closing the body). They wear a mask of withdrawal and have checked out of the moment. Those whose presence expands take up too much space. We’ve all seen people like this. They make noise when they enter a room and when they breathe and actively steal people’s air. They wear a mask of bluff and you can’t enter their forcefield to see who they really are. They are all smoke-screen and mirrors and they are exhausting to witness. Those whose presence is neutral have their feet on solid ground, have a bend in their knees that makes them supple and quick to adapt and have breath moving through their bodies. Their faces are relaxed and their masks are off.  You can see them for who they really are and you feel welcomed into their world. 

Proficient speakers are good at being in neutral presence in all aspects of their speaking performance. They can manage and move their own presence and the presence of their audiences in the moment. They are tuned-in to the workings of their bodies and are switched-on from the instant that they get up from their seat to walk to their speaking position. 

Voice

Your voice is your calling card.  It reveals who you are, where you come from and what mood you’re in.  It transmits your internal world into the external world and it always tells the truth. Your audiences will know how you feel about something based on the sound of your voice. This is why it is essential to work on your voice so that the meaning of the words you speak and how you say them are congruent and represent what you intend.

The craft of using your voice is about learning how to breathe so that you can maximize the power of your vocal instrument. It’s about bringing words to life based on how you say them and intentionally using volume, speed, tone, pausing and color to reveal their meaning.

Proficient speakers are good at using their voice. From warming them up before speaking to harnessing them during their delivery, to warming them down afterwards, they are skilled in all aspects of vocal care, vocal variety and vocal projection. When they speak, people listen to what they have to say and are spellbound.

Body

Your body is a book and the stories it tells reveal who you are at the core and, like your voice, it always tells the truth. When it comes to speaking, your body shouts! Through non-verbal cues in the form of gestures, it loudly states how you feel about what you are doing, saying, feeling and thinking. 

The craft of using your body is about understanding that there is a dictionary of body language vocabulary that you need to know so that what you say is congruent with how your body is saying it. It’s also about knowing the secret language of space in speaking areas and moving in these spaces with purpose.

Proficient speakers are fluent in body language and can speak it to any audience, any time. They move with purpose in their speaking areas, from built stages in theaters to the edges of a boardroom table in a conference room, they know how to use the space. When they move their bodies, they are congruent with what they are saying and their messages are understood.

Rehearsal

Rehearsal is the glue that binds all three of these pillars in the Delivery Bucket together. And, like any performing art, it’s rehearsal that brings the performer to a place of comfort.  The more you do something, the better you get at it. 

Proficient speakers understand this and set aside ample time, over time to rehearse their talks. They stage their talks to mimic the appearance of the set up and the venue that they will be speaking in (think, setting up kitchen chairs to represent where the audience will be sitting and using a whisk as a microphone during rehearsals).  And, they build their rehearsals in layers, starting with the vocal layer, then the body layer, and so on. Rehearsal is the key that unlocks the jewels of the performance.

Whah!  

Well, there you have it, the nuts and bolts of the basics. The recipe for how to thrive instead of survive when speaking in front of your peers, teams and customers.  Two buckets and many, many ingredients in each one. It’s a lot, I know, but that’s why it’s a craft, a skill to be learned and practiced as much as possible so that it becomes a natural part of your communication repertoire. 

It’s work and the work works.

In today’s messy world, we need more leaders and teams to communicate with impact, authenticity and human connection. The craft of public speaking supports this aim. My invitation to you is to get on board with these transformational skills and to heighten every speaking performance, whether it’s a staff update delivered online, or a video message to your company, or a live conference performance.  

When you show up as the best version of yourself through using this craft, your message lives.  When your message lives, you help to make the world a better place, one talk at a time.

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Dr. Laura Penn is an expert in the speaking arts and in leadership communication. Founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland, she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age. Award-winning international keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, author of three books, writer for UN Today, the official magazine of the United Nations and host of the Leadership Speaking Radio podcast, Dr. Penn is available for virtual and in-person training sessions and customized keynotes.

The Secret Formula Behind the Best Talks: Content Creation

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Just like theater, dance and music, public speaking is a performing art, and as such, there is an intrinsic formula for how to create and deliver each speaking performance. In this article, I want to pull back the curtain to reveal the secret blueprint behind the best talks and give you the tools that you need in order to shine every time that you speak in front of your peers, teams and stakeholders.

Let’s start at the very beginning with the first part of the performing arts formula: content creation. For actors, dancers and musicians who are developing original work, this first phase is about creating the scripts, choreography and scores from scratch.  For speakers, this phase is about the spoken words, or what is going to be said. Whether it’s a staff update, a stakeholder presentation or a conference keynote, in order for the message to matter and for it to stay in the room, the words that will be spoken have to be chosen skillfully and be assembled with care. Here are three guidelines for powerful content creation:

1 – Perform an Audience Evaluation

A natural starting point for creating content is to begin by understanding who your audience is in the first place.  Ask yourself these questions: 

1. Who is your audience?

2. What are their needs and interests?

3. What prior knowledge do they have about the topic?

4. What new information could the audience benefit from?

5. What questions might they have about the topic?

Doing this type of due-diligence before you create your content is one of the secrets to nailing the brief. Get it right at this early stage, and you will be off to an excellent start because now you will have the information that you need in order to prepare a targeted talk which is relevant to your audience and which connects you directly to their needs and interests.  

2 – Set an Intention

Begin your writing process by setting an intention.  Choose one word which captures the spirit of what you want to say. You can harvest this singular word by asking yourself a simple question: 

“As a result of my talk, what do I want my audience to feel?” 

What is your word? Do you want them to feel “trust”, “hope”, “inspired”, “motivated”, “driven”? Choose your word and make it clear and simple.  Once you have figured it out, write it down on a Post-it note and hang it where you can see it. Treat your word like your north star and allow it to become the beacon that you follow on the journey of creating your content. As you write, keep looking over at the Post-it note to make sure that you’re on track.  For example, if your word is “hope”, are you including content that makes your listeners feel hopeful? Do you have stories, anecdotes and wisdom to share that makes them feel this way? Are you using language, vocabulary and descriptions which serve your intention? Ultimately, is the content that you are creating filled with hope? If the answer is “yes” then you’re on the right track. If it’s “no”, keep refining your content until your intention is infused into the beginning, middle and end of your talk.

3 – Choose your Form

Now that you know who your audience is and what you want them to feel as a result of your talk, you have a compass direction to follow. From there, you need a map.  Where exactly are you going? What stops are you going to make along the way on your speaking journey?  In other words, what is the form of your content?  In business communication the standard form is to have an introduction, main points and a conclusion. To bring each part to life, consider the following elements:

  • Make your talk a dialogue, not a monologue – Serve the needs and interests of your audiences and don’t just talk about what is interesting and important to you, talk about what they care about and what matters to them and make the experience a two-way street.
  • Paint the picture not just the frame – Get out of the superficial comfort zone of focusing only on facts, figures and knowledge transmission in your talk. This is called “painting the frame”.  In order to “paint the picture”, describe the things in your talk which evoke the senses so that you can enliven your content. Where possible, let your listeners “see” the sights, “hear” the sounds, “smell” the smells, “feel” the touches and “taste” the flavors.
  • Write for the ear – The content that you are creating is going to be spoken to your audiences, not handed to them for them to read in written form.  Therefore, it’s not enough just to share your textbook knowledge of the topic. Instead, play with your words. Animate them by choosing them very carefully. Explore the rhythm and the cadence of the sound that they make both in isolation and when put together with other words, and create images with them which give them wings and lift them off the page. 

To recap, this article has looked at what you can do to create content that lives in the hearts and minds of your audiences. From learning how to perform an audience evaluation, to understanding how to “paint the picture”, you now have a handful of tangible solutions which can support you to create vibrant and meaningful content for any audience, at any time. In a future article, we will explore the second part of the performing arts formula, which is to understand what it takes to deliver the content that you have created. Until then, I encourage you to say ‘yes’ to every speaking opportunity that you can get so that you can experiment with content creation, because the more that you do the work, the better you’ll get.

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Dr. Laura Penn is an expert in the speaking arts and in leadership communication. Founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland, she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age. Award-winning international keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, author of three books, writer for UN Today, the official magazine of the United Nations and host of the Leadership Speaking Radio podcast, Dr. Penn is available for virtual and in-person training sessions and customized keynotes.

The Secret Formula Behind the Best Talks: Delivery Rehearsal

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Public speaking is a performing art and just like theater, dance and music, there is an intrinsic formula behind every performance.  This secret blueprint is the key to creating high quality content which is performed with a memorable delivery. In this article, I want to reveal the second part of the performing arts formula for how to prepare the best talks: delivery rehearsal. 

For actors, dancers and musicians, this second phase is about rehearsing the delivery of their scripts, choreography and scores.  For speakers, this phase is about bringing the content to life by focusing on how to say it.  Here are three compelling ways to breathe meaning into your words:

1 – Play with Your Voice

To speak so that people want to listen to what you have to say, play with your voice.  Explore the outer limits of what your voice can do by experimenting with different ways to speak your text. Play with volume by alternating the loudness and the softness of your voice depending on the mood you want to create for your listeners. Modulate the speed of your speaking by toggling between speaking quickly and speaking slowly. The rate that you choose will depend on what you are talking about. For example, if you are sharing information about something that is happy and joyful, consider saying it quickly. Fast speaking correlates with the emotions of excitement and joy. If on the other hand, your content is about something serious or sad, try saying it slower to convey these different emotions. Finally, play with pausing, one of the most powerful oratory tools in any speaker’s repertory. As a general rule, a pause before a statement is made creates anticipation and curiosity and a pause afterwards underlines the point and engages the audience, inviting their thoughts and observations. Bring gravitas to your content by pausing often. 

2 – Move with Purpose

In a great talk, movement is never random, it has been staged to support the message.  You may have seen speakers who walk aimlessly all over the place, leaking energy from their feet and from their legs and arms as they speak.  They are a whirlwind of movement and as the audience, it is difficult to keep track of where they are going, why they are moving there and what their movement has to do with their message.  

Just as a theatrical director or a choreographer considers what areas of the stage a performer should use to make the strongest impact on the audience, so should you. Move with purpose, using the different areas of your speaking area to reach your audience on as many levels as possible. For example, if you want to create an intimate effect, move closer to the audience; if you want to make an important point, move to center stage; and if you want to grab the audience’s attention and “own” the stage, use the “power position” closest to the audience, just in front of center stage.  Be mindful however that wherever you move in your speaking area, be careful not to choreograph your movements. This can make them seem stiff and artificial. Instead, let the subject, your intuition and the natural energy of your content lead you to different parts of the stage.

3 – Rehearse!

The more that you rehearse, the more your content becomes a part of you. Planned rehearsal is every performing artist’s secret to success. Here are a few suggestions to help you to rehearse like a pro:

  • Timeframe – Be generous with the time that you budget to rehearse your talk. Waiting until the day before or the day itself is too late; you will be unprepared. The length and the complexity of the talk should determine how much you will need to rehearse it. For example, for a ten-minute talk on a subject that you are familiar with, practice beginning about three days before should suffice. For a 45-minute talk on a less familiar subject, rehearsals should start up to three or four weeks in advance, rehearsing several times a day.  
  • “Stage” your practice environment – The closer your rehearsal surroundings are to the actual conditions that you will face, the better prepared you will be. If you know that you will be presenting in an auditorium and standing behind a podium for example, find a practice space that has an open area, move furniture to create audience rows and use a chair or a table as a podium. 
  • Always practice out loud – No amount of repetition inside of your head can replace actual, out-loud practice. By using your voice, articulating your words and hearing yourself speak, you become more comfortable with the tone of your voice and the content of your talk. Hearing yourself speak also gives you the opportunity to discover any hidden problems with your text such as unintended tongue twisters.  

To conclude, this article has explored the steps that you can take to prepare the delivery rehearsal of your speaking performances. You now know that playing with your voice, moving with purpose and rehearsing are the keys to successfully delivering your content. In a future article, we will delve into the third and final part of the performing arts formula, which is how to warm-up before speaking. Until then, keep saying ‘yes’ to every speaking opportunity that comes your way so that you can keep developing your content creation and delivery rehearsal skills, because the more that you do the work, the better you’ll get.

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Dr. Laura Penn is an expert in the speaking arts and in leadership communication. Founder of The Leadership Speaking School, based in Switzerland, she supports leaders, teams and motivated youth to become authentic communicators of the digital age. Award-winning international keynote speaker, four-time TEDx speaker, author of three books, writer for UN Today, the official magazine of the United Nations and host of the Leadership Speaking Radio podcast, Dr. Penn is available for virtual and in-person training sessions and customized keynotes.