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[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
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[…]
I often find it interesting that whichever aspect of life you may choose to focus on there is always an ‘exception to the rule’. When it comes to presenting and speaking in public many consider the number one rule to be the expression of passion. Every now and then a speaker raises his or her[…]
Do you present with eloquence at work? Eloquence seems to me to be one of those words you don’t hear very often these days, especially in the workplace. Accompanied by words like charisma, presence and gravitas, these terms sometimes feel difficult to define. To present with eloquence is often a term reserved for great wedding[…]
Growing up as a young boy I was lucky enough to have had not just one but two super heroes in my life. If you are under the age of 45 you have probably never heard of my first hero; ‘The Six Million Dollar Man’ aka ‘The Bionic Man’, but you can be forgiven for[…]
Leadership Lessons & High Impact Public Speaking From Charities
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 29, 2016
Leadership lessons are abound in many of the worlds finest charities. Those leadership lessons extend way beyond culture. They impact their presentation and public speaking skills immensely too. At Mindful Presenter our presentation skills training revolves around creating that all important emotional connection as well as an intellectual understanding. Our team consider it an honour and[…]
The Most Important Skill in the World Today – Public Speaking
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 22, 2016
Public speaking is the most important skill in the world today. Communication changes the world There are a great number of reasons why public speaking is the most important skill in the world. It brings with it the power to: – Influence and persuade – Win over the crowd – Motivate and inspire – Break[…]
One of my favourite speakers is the American author, spiritual leader, and political activist Marianne Williamson. As a brilliant speaker and author, Marianne Williamson is passionate about her beliefs and offers great wisdom. She demonstrates this beautifully in her commencement speech to the University of Southern California. Commencement ceremonies aim to inspire young people who[…]
The fundamentals of public speaking is a skill that some professionals find challenging to master. The people who understand and apply the fundamentals of public speaking tend to have a greater impact. Public speaking is a learned skill; it’s not simply a gift a few people are born with. The fundamentals of public speaking[…]
20 Reasons everyone needs to communicate effectively
Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking May 04, 2016
The ability to communicate effectively and with impact, is one of the most valuable skills in the world today. The 20 reasons everyone needs to communicate effectively 1- To persuade and convince others to do business with you or see things differently. 2- To create a personal impact and be remembered for the right reasons.[…]
Presentation Lessons from a Preacher: Joel Osteen
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 29, 2016
Presentation Lessons from a Preacher: Joel Osteen As a presentation skills coach I love to talk. That said, I made a decision many years ago that there are two things I would try my very hardest to avoid speaking about in public. Religion and politics Given that I’m neither a theologian nor a politician most[…]
It’s your attitude that makes all the difference – especially when presenting
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 21, 2016
I don’t think many people would argue with the idea that it’s your attitude that makes all the difference in life. Your attitude also makes a huge difference when it comes to public speaking and presenting too, which is often something many people overlook. A mindful presenter has an attitude of: Empathy Imagine the shift[…]
In July 2015 I offered Donald Trump what I regarded as some very much needed presentation skills coaching advice because watching his speech at the Phoenix Convention Centre in Arizona last year caused me a great deal of concern, not in terms of his ‘politics’ I hasten to add; purely the manner in which he[…]
Would you like to learn the secret to brilliant presenting? Earl Nightingale, the highly respected speaker, author and radio personality gave us the secret to brilliant presenting. He recorded an audio program which sold over a million copies to become the first spoken- word recording to achieve Gold Record Status. ‘The Strangest Secret’ has since[…]
A Powerful Presentation Tip from the Late Bruce Lee
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 09, 2016
“Don’t think. Feel. It is like a finger pointing out to the Moon, don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.” Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was arguably the greatest martial artist in history. Watch one of my favourite scene again last night in ‘Enter the Dragon‘ got me thinking about[…]
Hillary Clinton – Shares Lessons In Mindful Presenting
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Apr 02, 2016
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited a Baptist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last week to participate and speak on the subject of gun violence. A few weeks before that she spoke in Miami, Florida at what is known in American political campaigning as ‘Super Tuesday’. In two completely different speaking forums with strikingly contrasting tones[…]
Powerful presentation tips may offer the answer to transforming tedious business meetings which leave so many professionals uninspired. A number of readers seemed to empathise with a previous article I wrote, having left comments such as: ‘My previous employer needs to read this’ ‘Whew! I thought it was just me!’ ‘Many companies could take notes[…]
