‘Every
time you speak, you are auditioning for leadership’ – James C Humes
James C. Humes wrote
speeches for many US Presidents: Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush. His
acclaimed books include Instant Eloquence, Podium Humor, The Sir
Winston Method, Citizen Shakespeare and The Wit & Wisdom of
Winston Churchill. Along with William Safire and Pat Buchanan, Humes is
credited for authoring the text on the Apollo 11 lunar plaque.
An expert as well as
exponent of the art of speaking, Humes emphasized that the difference between
mere management and leadership is communication. He pointed out that the art of
communication is the language of leadership. Indeed, we find that leaders stand
out due to their ability to speak effectively
Indeed, every time we have to speak - whether
it's in an auditorium, in a conference room, or even across the comfort of our
own desk - we are auditioning for leadership. Interestingly, more often than
not, speaking is a skill that requires to be just reclaimed. We are born
expressive but negative nurturing deteriorates our confidence as well as
competency.
To reclaim our
ability to speak effectively we must use every opportunity to do so. It is
pertinent to note that we first learnt to speak in our childhood by listening
to sounds of language. Now, too, we must focus on listening to sounds of
various voices (including our own) and apply the learning to every opportunity
to speak – whether on the phone, across the table, during a meeting or at the
podium.
Rise
to every opportunity… stand up to speak
Audition
for leadership… reclaim the poise peak!
- Pravin K.
Sabnis
Goa,
India.
