Speaking from the Heart: Why we need this now more than ever
When I was working at a speakers agency as an agent, our team constantly met with potential clients to decide if we wanted to represent them. The running joke among us was that unless the speaker made me cry, I wouldn't want to take on the project.
Sometimes the tears were actual, other times there was an internal emotional response to how the speaker made me feel.
Of course there were other criteria, such as the expertise and visibility of the individual, as well as whether they were addressing topics that our varied audiences might be interested in, and finally did the prospective speaker have a unique perspective or life experience. This last piece was vital.
All of those considerations were critically important. But for me, the secret sauce was always whether the speaker’s story moved me . In other words, did the speaker bring their humanity to the podium?
These last few months, when the news has been filled with so much tragedy, I have been thinking about how much we need to hear from people who are willing to bring the human element to the public conversation--who are not afraid to shy away from being vulnerable, or feeling overwhelmed by anger or sadness.
This is not a request for cookie cutter presentations with a dash of feelings; rather it is a desire for speakers, commentators and public spokespeople to show us that they have blood running through their veins, to show us that they care…. And that they are human.
Here are a few times I have seen people achieve this:
David Hogg Direct, Yet Contained
I was watching The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart one week after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. He was hosting a discussion with a scholar along with David Hogg, the Co-Founder of March for our Lives. While the conversation was intellectually engaging, it was emotionally flat. That is until David Hogg turned and looked directly into the camera, into America’s homes. His remarks were filled with an urgency. I could feel his energy boil, but it never boiled over. While his comments were fierce, by keeping his emotions contained, he gave viewers the space to feel the gravity of his words at the same time challenging the audience to take action.
The Unforgetable Maya Angelou
Decades ago I was at a three day conference with blockbuster speakers, but the only person whose speech I actually remember was Maya Angelou’s. She was talking about the legacy of the people who came generations before us--how we each stood on their shoulders, and that they had, in essence, paid for us to be here. I had never before heard anyone frame it like that, and while I cannot remember her exact words, I can remember how she made me feel. I sensed that we had the obligation to them, to live our best lives, lives fueled by what we dared to dream.
President Obama: Words, plus the unexpected
I still remember when President Obama sang “Amazing Grace” at the 2015 funeral service for Rev. Clementa Pickney, one of the victims of shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston SC. Although his words were powerful, it was his decision to sing that served as a balm for our unbearable grief. That day he offered us a piece of his heart, to help repair ours.
These are just a few elements of what a speaker can do to break through the ordinary and help listeners connect. Of course not all presenters can have the impact of a Maya Angelou or President Obama, but if we are willing to open our hearts and our humanity, we can transform a speech into a memorable experience, one which can stay with us for years to come.
If you are a speaker who is ready to share from the heart, but who needs to dig deeper to do so, let's explore working together to discover what you have to say and the best way to do that.
“Speak your mind, event if your voice shakes.”