Public Speaking Tips: Take Your Job Seriously, Not Yourself!

Public speaking tips are usually about getting things right. But what happens when it all goes horribly wrong? Lets face it - we all screw up from time to time. Sometimes we win by winning, sometimes by screwing up less than the competition. When I was a tennis coach, Ian Barclay (who was Pat Cash's coach) was coaching a group of us in Johannesburg. One of his standard pieces of advice was "Winning is easy - all you have to do is get the ball over the net one (just one) time more than the other guy." So what should you do when it does all go wrong? Admit it, keep the mood of the audience with you, smile and enjoy the moment. Stay confident and calm and in control. You may even turn your imperfection, your humanity into a plus. Do not take yourself seriously!!! (Of course having a sense of humour helps!). It is the people who take themselves seriously, or worse too seriously, who quickly become the butt of jokes. People love laughing at the pompous and the self important. Be likeable and be human. When the technology fails, or you forget what you are saying or your place in your speech - you will need all the friends you can get.

Swimming with the Sharks – Helping Lawyers Become Partners

I ran a group of companies in Europe for a while, and one of the companies was in the building and construction sector. There was a special set of laws that applied to this sector. The company was in major trouble when I was tasked with keeping it alive and then turning it around. There

Elections and Politics to Look Out For in 2024

“Keep It Simple Stupid.”“It’s the economy, stupid.” Are these pieces of wisdom mutually exclusive? Should business leaders care or pay attention to what is happening in politics? Leaders have to focus, despite all the noise. But it’s incredibly tough to tell the distance between noise and signals. Leaders always have to focus on building value;

TED Talk – Build and broaden your story bank

When I first landed in Europe, I was asked several times whether we had lions, springbok, and leopards outside our house. I often lied and shrugged nonchalantly. I found that funny. I found it not funny when a colleague came up to me sympathetically and whispered to me conspiratorially: “I don’t like them either.” I

Quiet voices can be eloquent advocates.

The loudest person doesn’t always have the biggest voice Rebecca is quiet, calm, and determined. She speaks about sobering things. This 2014 TEDMED talk rocked me. And divided me. Rebecca is a deeply impressive and warm human who follows a brilliant path: talk about other people, not about yourself. She also has done so many

Public Speaking Tips: Take Your Job Seriously, Not Yourself!

Related Posts