Powerful speeches are those that appeal to audiences' emotions

A team leader speaks to her members during a business meeting. [Getty Images]

Nitin Nohria, Dean at Harvard Business School, says "Communication is the real work of leadership". 

Perhaps, one of the most critical responsibilities of leaders of any organisation is public speaking. Be it a political, religious, business or educational institution, the leaders are constantly called upon to communicate their visions, policies and objectives of the organisation.

And public speaking is the main instrument available to them to exercise their power, authority and influence on the people under them. It is the same instrument they use to communicate with other institutions and stakeholders critical to achievement of their goals.

The level of success the leaders have with the people and the stakeholders depends on the way they use words to deliver a speech in front of an audience. And the substance of public speaking itself—the messaging—is not given. It requires thought, skill and tact. These are the leaders who know the power of words, of communication, have a speech writer or speechwriters at their beck and call.

The rank and file of an organisation may look at speech writing as a very simple process. Nothing can be further from the truth. Formulating a speech fit for an occasion is not mechanical replication of the mandates and policies the organisation is undertaking.

By all accounts, unless the policy, programme and project are new, the stakeholders know about it already. Even if they don’t know the new policy to be announced or launched, stakeholders want something more, something connected to their hearts and souls. They want some stimulation.

That is why speech writers are so critical to leaders. They add enormous value—although intangible—to a leader. They write speeches for the leaders with a panoramic eye view of the organisation and the wider horizon.

A speech writer brings perspective, clarity and purpose to whatever issue, challenge or crisis a leader is addressing. He cuts through the complexity of policy and making it—the policy thrust of the moment—to resonate with the outside world.

And this brings us to the complexity inherent in public speaking. In any communication or public speaking situation, there is a problem, dissatisfaction with the status quo. The speaker speaks to solve the problem or remove the discomfort.

It is the reason all communication is persuasion. Regardless of the situation, all our communication initiatives have one goal; to influence another person’s attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviour. To solve problems.

It is not communication of policy or decisions that leaders are expected to do when they speak. To address the problem or discomfort facing people, they must communicate hope, understanding and empathy.

In fact, all communication to a people is a lot of hot air without hope, understanding and empathy. The speaker could be addressing people who are apathetic, who have lost hope, who have lost confidence in you or in life. No speech, however well delivered, can move them if not infused with hope, empathy, understanding.  

Embedded in any speech are three fundamental pillars of persuasion: logos, ethos and pathos. Associated with Greek Philosopher Aristotle, they are strategies that speech writers must embed in speeches. 

A speech must appeal to the logical or reasoning powers of the stakeholders. It must appeal to their emotions and last but not least, the speaker must be likeable. Before you convince an audience to accept whatever you tell them, they must accept you. Things are not given.

That is why the speech writing process of a defining occasion must start with an initial meeting with the CEO to get a broad understanding of the main points he or she wants to make.

Thereafter, it is sustained conversations with policy wonks in the organisation. Closeness to the chief executive places the speech writer in a position to appreciate language, tone, temperament, personal beliefs—all which are embedded in the speech.

With the broad understanding of the thrust of the speaker, conversation with policymakers or technical advisors on the issue at hand, the speech now requires quiet solitude. This is where he or she mentally surveys the lay of the land—the current state of affairs and what the speaker wants the organisation to go and how.

The writer is not part of the policymaking process. If he is, he cannot look at the forest. He will look at individual trees and therefore fail to transmute the enduring vision, values and purpose of the organisation into the policy issue, problem or challenge at hand.

What is worse, the speech lacks appreciation of the personality of the speaker—a critical element in communication. Powerful speech must have the personality of the speaker as well as the hearts and souls of the audience. Not just facts and figures. Politicians know that you cannot persuade people using numbers.

Organisations can improve their persuasive capabilities by establishing an office dedicated to speech writing. The staff will be able to devote their intellects, energies and time to speech writing. Called to address the rhetorical or communications situations—purpose, audience, topic, speaker, and context of speech writing assignment—they will carry out the necessary background information and prepare real appropriate speech fit for the varying occasions that the speaker is called upon to address.

It is appropriate words in appropriate situations delivered in an appropriate manner that makes the difference with the people.