Prime Minister Theresa May’s conference speech didn’t quite go to plan, alas. First there was the P45-waving interloper, then the malfunctioning backdrop and, just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, a coughing fit.
Of course, none of these mishaps was Mrs May’s fault. But while it’s almost impossible to protect ourselves from every possible calamity that might befall during an important team talk, there are lessons we can learn about effective leadership speeches from historical heroes and contemporary colleagues.
These are the kind of speeches that prove just how inspirational the spoken word really can be.
Master the art of oratory, aka the gift of the gab, demonstrated by this dynamic duo and you’ll put yourself on the path to becoming a successful CEO quicker than a Fisherman’s Friend soothes a sore throat.
Sheryl Sandberg
As Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer, our Sheryl knows a thing or three about how women can get ahead in the workplace.
When she gave a commencement speech at UC Berkely last year, her words on loss and resilience in the wake of her husband Dave Goldberg’s passing were utterly compelling.
What her style showed was that opening up to business peers about loss and how we deal with it does not make us sound weak.
On the contrary, it makes us more real, builds emotional bridges and creates an atmosphere of empathy and understanding.
This is our favourite bit from Sheryl’s speech: “We find our humanity – our will to live and our ability to love – in our connections to one another. Be there for your family and friends. And I mean in person. Not just in a message with a heart emoji.”
Nelson Mandela
Leadership speeches don’t come any better than the late Mr Mandela’s inauguration speech of May 10, 1994.
As the first democratically elected president of South Africa, he had freed his people from apartheid. But he knew a good leader never takes success for granted or lets his team rest on their laurels.
That’s why his powerful oratory tackled full on what challenges still lay ahead – while offering an impassioned road map to overcome them.
In his inimitable tones he said: “The task at hand will not be easy. But you have mandated us to change South Africa from a country in which the majority lived with little hope, to one in which they can live and work with dignity, with a sense of self-esteem and confidence in the future.”
Now that’s what we call sharing the power of words!
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