Daily Habits - Public Speaking

In the movie The Prestige there was a lot of emphasis on how to set up a good magic show. They hit several points, which were really neat, and the cast was great. In my opinion, the only issue I had with the plotline was one science fiction element to it.

One part of the movie showed an old man who stumbled and fumbled his way on the stage that made a giant fishbowl appear. This happened in the middle of the stage with nothing around it and the bowl had water and the fish in it!

As the movie continued, the realization was that the fishbowl was carried between the guy’s legs onto the stage. The baggy clothing served as cover, but the weight was not unsubstantial. Which begged the obvious question.

Could an old man, who had a hard time walking, carry the bowl?

The answer was, entertainingly, painfully obvious. The man didn’t have a hard time walking… that was the act! His walking, in his shuffling and lame fashion, around town and on to carriages was where his real show really was. Because it convinced everyone that he was an old man!

Now, I am not suggesting that we try to make people believe something that we are not, but we do have to model what we present. With all the lack of confidence in leadership we seem to be experiencing in this world, it is not – necessarily – an easy task to get our students to trust us.

Modeling what we present is exceedingly important, and what will separate the leaders from the those who just want to be called a leader.

Everything we do can easily come under scrutiny. People of this day and age have access to more information than ever before. Also, through the magnificent advancements in communication, distance to take advantage of great leadership is less of an issue.  As a result, people have the option to be exceedingly picky about leadership and many choose to do so.

It is important to be the Model of what it is you are Presenting. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, this would include making sure you are ready to be interviewed by anyone within the area that you operate the most. Nowadays, this includes social media platforms, which have expanded everyone’s horizons and given people like us more places we must be on our toes.

That being said, most of the principles from the 1900s carry through to the Information Age. There was a time that the two things that no one in business was supposed to talk about, religion or politics. Nowadays, many don’t follow that rule as strictly as in yesteryears. However, I would strongly recommend when speaking publicly, and this includes social media platforms, it is generally a good idea to focus on your chosen field.

Sticking with your chosen field does not keep your communication focused away from items that could be potential hot spots, but it is always what you are the best at talking about. I have always joked with people that I don’t like hearing interviews with major athletes or movie stars. Now, I do enjoy them, especially when they go off topic, nothing but good entertainment there, but it often gets them into trouble. They are good at their sport (or acting) and the public LOVES what they do. Like them, the more we stick to the topic of our chosen field, the better we communicate and, more than likely, we’ll gather people who appreciate the passion for what we have to offer.