When Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic presidential nomination she demonstrated her ability to invigorate and unify an audience in front of 29 million television viewers.
Whether you like her or her political views, Kamala Harris showed us how the world really does open up to us when we speak with confidence, humility and passion.
I’m not a political pundit and with so much political division already in the UK, I couldn’t possibly have a view on American politics. I do, however, have a view on what a good public speaker looks and sounds like and Kamla Harris ticks quite a few of the boxes in my view.
Let’s take a closer look at some of these
Tick 1. Humility
The route to humility is not being afraid to let your audience into your world by being yourself and opening up to them.
Kamala Harris let 29 million people know exactly how her values of, “Community, faith and the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated, with kindness, respect and compassion”, were instilled in her.
“The harmony between my parents did not last. When I was in elementary school, they split up. And it was mostly my mother who raised us. Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay.”
Tick 2. Presence
The route to presence lies in the speaker being completely in the room with their audience; not simply in their heads. It comes from breath, focus and giving the whole of themselves to their audience.
Presence comes from taking time to just stand there and become a part of the room before speaking.
Engulfed in rapturous applause and adulation, Kamala Harris was not in a rush to speak. She allowed herself to simply be in the room connecting with her audience for over 2 minutes before she began her speech.
Presence comes from being comfortable with your speaking space and looking like you want to be there. It can be seen and felt in someone who stands tall and proud. They smile, express themselves verbally and non-verbally and make good eye contact; more about that later.
Tick 3. Focus
The route to focus is crafting your entire speech around a clear and compelling message. Kamala Harris focused on hope, opportunity and unity.
“Let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness and endless possibilities. We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world and … we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish.”
This was a speech focused largely on:
– Sharing how she got to where she is today through the values instilled in her by her family.
– Why and how those values are important and will serve the country she loves well.
– “We are all in this together.”
– “A chance to chart a New Way Forward.”
– Uniting, leading and listening.
– Creating an opportunity economy.
– Bringing people together.
– The damage her opposition will do if elected.
Tick 4. Feelings
The route to feelings isn’t a speech fraught with facts and data. It starts with an intention of making an emotional connection with an audience.
Feelings are evoked through:
– Stories
“When I was in high school, I started to notice something about my best friend Wanda.”
– Thought provoking questions
“Why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?”
– Strong values
“At the park, my mother would tell us to stay close. But my father would just smile, and say, “Run, Kamala. Run.” “Don’t be afraid.” “Don’t let anything stop you.”
“She taught us to never complain about injustice. But…do something about it. She also taught us—Never do anything half-assed. “
– Recognition
“A beautiful working-class neighbourhood of Firefighters, nurses, and construction workers, all who tended their lawns with pride.”
– Bold statements
“No one should be made to fight alone. We are all in this together.”
“ My entire career, I have only had one client. The People.”
“Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives. It is one of the most important in the life of our nation.”
– Promises
“I promise to be a President for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country above party and self. To hold sacred
America’s fundamental principles. From the rule of law. To free and fair elections. To the peaceful transfer of power. I will be a President who unites us around our highest aspirations. A President who leads. And listens. Who is realistic. Practical. And has common sense. And always fights for the American people.”
Tick 5. Authenticity
The route to authenticity requires belief in our message and having absolute clarity of what we want to say and why we need to say it. It’s about conviction rather than platitudes and pleasing people with what they want to hear.
Authenticity comes from having the courage and vulnerably to open up and speak freely as Kamala Harris did throughout her speech.
“Every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and said five words: Kamala Harris, for the People.”
“With this election, our nation has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past.”
Our opponents in this race are out there, every day, denigrating America. Talking about how terrible everything is. Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach. Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are.”
A critical element of authenticity is the congruence between what you are saying and how you are saying it.
How exactly is Kamla Harris saying it?
Tick 6. Pace
A speaker’s pace is a critical element of their speech. Our pace will vary as it should but speaking too quickly our audience will have difficulty following and it’s easy to lose their interest if we speak too slowly.
Kamala speaks at a good, easy to listen to pace. Her ability to connect with an audience in a conversational rather than confrontational manner through her pace alone was impressive.
Tick 7. Smile
Kamala Harris opens her speech with a contagious smile which she maintains throughout as a strength.
A smile has the power to win allies and calm dissenters. It sends a very clear message to your audience that you are pleased and happy to be there and so they can feel free to be so too. A smile can change your own emotional state in an instant and it can be as infectious as a yawn.
Tick 8. Vocals
The way we express our message verbally is vitally important. Volume, pitch, pace, tone and articulation are just a handful of the components of our public speaking voice. There are of course, many more.
There is nothing monotone about the way Kamala Harris delivered this speech.
In additional to the lovely pace she spoke at, there was a great deal of flexibility in her pitch, pace, tone, energy and volume.
When she wanted her audience to feel excited, inspired, concerned or angry she sounded so herself. She was articulate, fluent and didn’t try to adopt the ‘corporate spokesperson’ voice we often hear.
The words she chose and the way she spoke them felt congruent with the way she felt and wanted her audience to feel.
Tick 9. Expression
Using our voice to connect with an audience is one challenge but it has to be aligned to way we express ourselves non-verbally too.
Kamala Harris entered the stage gracefully, spoke with her hands, face and every aspect of her body language mirrored her words.
It’s difficult to maintain eye contact with a large audience but Kamala Harris looked like she was talking to a small group of friends and family.
Many speakers struggle to know exactly what to do with their hands while they are speaking. Some end up in their pockets, behind their backs, by their side or clinging to the podium.
Kamala Harris spoke openly with her hands and her face, gesturing as though she were having a conversation with friends.
Tick 10. Hope
We all live in hope.
Good speakers know how to put themselves in their audience’s shoes and think carefully about everything they may hope for. Then, they demonstrate their understanding by providing that hope in their speech.
“We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done. Guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love.
To fight for the ideals we cherish.
And to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth. The privilege and pride of being an American.
So, let’s get out there and let’s fight for it.
Let’s get out there and let’s vote for it.
And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.
Thank you. God bless you. May God bless the United States of America.”
I have no interest in Kamala Harris’s or any other US politicians political stance or policies. I am however, very interested in how world leaders are influencing the next generation of people who want to speak with confidence, presence and impact.
I’m mindful of the fact that if you don’t like Kamala Harris or what she stands for you may disagree vehemently with my assessment of her public speaking skills.
I’ve written about many leaders, political and non-political. I hold the passionate belief that our ability to communicate effectively is the most important skill in the world.
In fact, I believe that it’s a skill that should be taught at the youngest possible age. It’s today’s leaders who will lead by example in helping our children to development the communication skills to contribute to a better world.
The benefits of learning to speak confidently in public at the youngest possible age can pay huge dividends.
Lessons in public speaking for children can help young people:
– Boost their personal confidence and self-esteem
– Value their voice and express themselves openly, with greater ease
– Influence and persuade others more effectively
– Think critically and creatively
– Make new social connections
– Significantly enhance personal relationships
– Be more comfortable with other people
– Stand up to bullies – they are in the workplace too!
Over the longer term, public speaking for children can help them to inspire people and even change the world.
At the very least, I’m sure that most people would agree with the sentiment:
“Never let anyone tell you who you are. You show them who you are.”
If you’d like help showing your audience who you are:
– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.
– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.
– Get yourself some excellent presentation training
Image courtesy of Flickr.com
Leave a comment