Knowing my passion for public speaking my son pointed me in the direction of a Simon Sinek YouTube video. As Simon Sinek is one of my favourite speakers it was something I looked forward to watching. Fifteen minutes in, I felt a litttle troubled by much of his thinking. Why? He cites four reasons why[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
Simon Sinek on Millennials in the Workplace
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 04, 2017
Powerful presenting is a skill that many people aspire to developing. There is a plethora of information on powerful presenting available on the internet and in book stores. Some good and some not so good Imagine if everything we’ve learned over the last 2000 years about powerful presenting could be handed to you gift wrapped,[…]
There is no shortage of public speaking advice on the internet, in magazines and book stores today. In fact, I have written over 300 articles myself for mindfulpresenter.com and other online publications. I’d like to share some of my favourite public speaking advice from other respected authors in the field of communication skills. Carmine Gallo[…]
The Queen’s Speech on Christmas day opened in a curious way as she began by referring to this year’s British Olympic medal winners in Rio. 67 medals and 147 at the Paralympics is a stunning achievement, definitely worthy of recognition. It wasn’t quite what I expected though In a year in which we saw the[…]
What would your Christmas message be as we head towards 2024? Note: I originally wrote and published this article on the run up to Christmas in 2016. Reflecting on it again today, it occurred to me that my personal message this Christmas would be exactly the same. Every year on Christmas day, a broadcast[…]
5 Important Presentation Lessons from the World of Social Media
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Dec 16, 2016
There are 5 very important presentation lessons we can learn from the world of social media. 1. Facebook first That’s exactly what many people would rather be doing whilst they are listening to a presentation. After all, so many business presentations can be quite tedious to listen to. Have you ever felt that urge to[…]
6 Public Speaking Habits to Take Off of Your Naughty List
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 10, 2016
Are you mindful of your public speaking habits, especially the bad ones? It’s unlikely that a week will pass where you are not called on to either attend of give a presentation. With that in mind, it’s worth becoming aware of your public speaking habits. Get yourself somefeedback through presentation skills coaching or booking yourself[…]
Mindfulness in Public Speaking – 5 ways it can help
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 03, 2016
Introducing mindfulness in public speaking is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself and your audience. We don’t sit quietly the whole day meditating in our public speaking workshops. At mindful presenter, the concept of mindfulness offers a great deal more It’s a way of living that takes us off of ‘autopilot’ and[…]
Public Speaking: How to speak up for yourself
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 28, 2016
Have you ever wondered what it would take to speak up for yourself more effectively? “One word expresses the pathway to greatness: voice. Those on this path find their voice and inspire others to find theirs. The rest never do.” Stephen R. Covey Mindful presenting offer us all the means of finding, valuing and expressing[…]
Vulnerability in Public Speaking – Brené Brown
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 18, 2016
Is vulnerability in public speaking something we should be scared of? The brilliant TED talk, ‘The power of vulnerability’ by Brené Brown, demonstrates the premise that we are all here to ‘connect’ and feel that sense of ‘connection’. It challenges the increasingly popular belief that the route to living our best life is through the principle[…]
Yesterday Donald Trump demonstrated unequivocally the impact the spoken word can have not only on a country but the entire world. The announcement that Donald Trump was to become the 45th President of the United States of America to hold the most powerful leadership position in the world was not only a historic one in[…]
A Public Speaking Phenomenon – I feel terrible but you can’t see it
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 23, 2016
Are you familiar with the global public speaking phenomenon? Imagine a presentation where the speaker felt terrified beyond belief, yet the audience had no idea how anxious they were. It really is a presentation and public speaking phenomenon This week I was leading a workshop where one of the best speakers in the room said[…]
Do you know what today’s worst public speaking habit is? If you will be attending some form of business presentation this week, you could very easily hear today’s worst public speaking habit It could be: – The speaker turning her back to their audience whist reading every word sitting alongside a long list of bullet[…]
Do you have bad presenting habits? One of the greatest concerns in the world of public speaking and presenting is bad habits. In fact, it is within the top 3 requests we hear from delegates on every one of presentation training workshops. ‘How can I get rid of my bad presenting habits?’ Here are[…]
There is public speaking and then there is speaking in public with 100M people watching you. Most people don’t like the idea of the first and for those that don’t mind it the majority would perish at the thought. Presidential candidates are different of course and many would argue that they relish the limelight. Last[…]
Leadership is probably one of the most written about skills in business today. Faster, better, cheaper and smarter have long been the leadership mantra It is becoming increasingly hard to deliver faster, better, cheaper and smarter, in the current reality we all face. How do you do this in a working environment where your team[…]
The Professionals Guide to Public Speaking & Presenting
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 10, 2016
Welcome to the professionals guide to public speaking and presenting for one of the most common activities you will see in businesses today. Mindful Presenting is the route to connecting with your audience emotionally as well as intellectually. It is the new science of presenting and public speaking which will end the phenomenon of ‘Death[…]
6 Qualities of Authentic Public Speakers and Presenters
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 01, 2016
What are the characteristics of authentic public speakers and presenters? Whether you’re talking about leadership, public speaking or culture, authenticity seems to be the buzzword of the day. In a society which sometimes seems almost numb from chasing success, security and sanity, many people are more discerning when it comes to experiencing authenticity. What[…]
Do you have to be an inspirational speaker to be President?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 21, 2016
Throughout history American Presidents have delivered some of the world’s finest, most inspirational and memorable speeches. Barack Obama’s forefathers would be proud of many of his speeches: “Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty,[…]
Presentation skills tips from the book ‘Hamster to Harmony’
Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Aug 08, 2016
I’ve only just realised that a personal development book I wrote over a decade ago is also full of presentation skills tips. The year 2006 was a big one for me, it was the year I decided to sit down and write down my thoughts on what I believed truly mattered. Three years later[…]
A 60 Minute Masterclass in Public Speaking: Hillary Clinton
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Jul 31, 2016
Hillary Clinton concluded the speeches of the 2016 Democratic National Convention with a brilliant masterclass in public speaking in just under an hour. This is what we can take for her luminous speech: 1. What’s so important? Your message is the lifeblood of your speech or presentation, it’s the number one thing you want your[…]
“The America I know”: The politics of perceptiontrust?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 30, 2016
The President of the United States and ‘would be’ President have both shared their perspective on ‘The America I know’. Barack Obama talks of an America which is “full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity.” Donald Trump on the other hand knows an America where “illegal immigrants are roaming free to threaten innocent citizens.” It’s[…]
The Power of Storytelling in Public Speaking – Bill Clinton
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Jul 29, 2016
It’s no secret that storytelling is the new super power of public speaking in business, politics and even at home. In fact, it’s not new; stories have always been an intrinsic part of everyday life. A good story well told helps us to make sense of things, feel what the speaker feels and even change[…]
Michelle Obama holds the key to mindful presenting. Plenty has been written about the extraordinary oratory skills of Barack Obama. It seems to me that his wife Michelle Obama could give him a ‘run for his money’ at Toastmasters. America’s First Lady Michelle Obama gave an impassioned speech at the Democratic National Convention this week.[…]
Donald Trump Presenting the Facts, the Future and Fear
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 25, 2016
Is presenting and public speaking one of Donald Trump’s greatest strengths? Whatever your view on his politics, personality or speaking style when it comes to public speaking every time Mr Trump takes the platform we get to learn something from him. Last week’s high profile acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland was[…]
6 Common Traits of Brilliant Leaders & Exceptional Presenters
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 21, 2016
Brilliant leaders and exceptional presenters have a great deal more in common than many people imagine. Some people may not associate strong leadership with effective presentation skills and vice versa. It is generally unwise to separate the two skills It’s worth making the distinction at this point that there are leaders and presenters. There are[…]
Yesterday David Cameron made his final speech as Prime Minister of the UK as he stood as a proud leader, husband and father with his wife and children outside number 10. Politics aside, I’ve commented many times on David Cameron’s oratory skills and having listened to his farewell speech yesterday I would reiterate a comment[…]
Theresa May – Andrea Leadsom: The Public Speakers
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 08, 2016
On the 9th September 2016 Conservative Party Members will decide who will become the UK’s second female Prime Minister. It has been suggested that Theresa May’s experience as the longest-serving home secretary for over a century may be better placed to lead the UK through these challenging and uncertain times. On the other hand, support[…]
9 Reasons you don’t need a presentation skills coach
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 02, 2016
Do you need a presentation skills coach? At Mindful Presenter we help professionals who have been presenting extensively for many years to a wide range of audiences. They just want to see if there are any new ‘tools’ to give them ‘the edge’ Others are very new to the skill and are keen to be[…]
Having dutifully registered my EU referendum vote on Thursday I set my alarm a little earlier than usual for Friday morning to hear the result of our Nations fate. Whilst all of the votes hadn’t yet been fully counted at 5am it was unmistakably clear that the majority of my fellow citizens had decided that[…]
