COMMUNICATION SPECIAL Want to Be
a Great Speaker? 7 Key Lessons From Martin Luther King Jr.
King was a great leader--and a great orator.
Here are 7 things to learn from his example the next time you have to talk to a
group.
"I have a dream that my four
little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by
the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
It's probably
the most famous and most inspiring quote from his most famous and enduring speech, one that winds up on just about every list I can find of the top
speeches of the past 100 years--or maybe ever.
King would have been 88 years old had he not
been cut down by an assassin's bullet almost 54 years ago. As we remember him,
here are 7 things to emulate from his success as a speaker (especially citing
the "I Have a Dream" speech).
1. Speak with moral authority
King's entire career was dedicated to civil
rights, specifically for African Americans. It's perhaps the single greatest
moral cause of our maturing American democracy. His speeches pack more power at
the outset because they're focused on important moral issues.
Takeaway:
Enduring speeches have an enduring moral core. The content of your character is
most important.
2. Make personal connections
King doesn't just dream for America. He
dreams for his family: that his "four little children" will grow up
in an evolved country. It's tricky to make personal connections, because you
want your speech to inspire the audience, not just discuss your personal
viewpoint or ambition. But King does it well.
Takeaway:
Embrace your audience's humanity, and yours.
3. React to the audience
During the speech, a famous gospel singer can
be heard calling out, "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" It appears
(although maybe not accurately, for reasons we'll see below) that King changes
his cadence in response to her entreaty, and starts the "I have a
dream" refrain. Regardless, his connection to the audience increases as a
result.
Takeaway: A
great speech almost becomes a conversation. Find a way to incorporate the
audience.
4. Speak in poetry
King uses the phrase "I have a
dream..." 12 times during his speech, including nine times in a row to
begin the succinct paragraphs for which it is best known now. It's poetic. In
fact, I encourage you to watch at least the first few seconds of this part of
the speech on YouTube. At points, his cadence and tone shift to the point where
he's almost singing the lines, rather than simply speaking them.
Takeaway: A
speech is a performance. You don't need to be over the top, but it helps to act
like a performer.
5. Choose your audience
True scholars and educated followers of King
often say "I Have a Dream" is a wonderful speech, but not his most
important speech in the context of his work. So why does it endure? One reason
is the setting: He was speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, in front
of a crowd of 250,000 people, broadcast on national television.
Takeaway:
Choose your moments, and seek the greatest audience you can find.
6. Practice and refine
King was an incredible orator, but this
wasn't the first time he'd delivered a version of "I Have a Dream."
In fact, he'd been using variations of the phrase and the rhythm in multiple
appearances, and historians recently found a recording of a very similar
speech--with the same refrain--that he'd given at a high school in 1961.
Reportedly he was up until 4 a.m. the night before the speech, rewriting it
again.
Takeaway:
Don't let your first effort be the one you make on your biggest stage.
7. Learn from the masters
Before "I
Have a Dream," King told
people he hoped to deliver "a sort of
Gettysburg Address," harkening of course to another incredible American speaker,
Abraham Lincoln, a year before. Now King himself is one of our icons of
oratory.
By Bill
Murphy Jr.
http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/want-to-be-a-great-speaker-7-key-lessons-from-martin-luther-king-jr.html
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