Several years ago, the author of this article, Deborah Grayson Riegel traveled from New York to Geneva, Switzerland to be the closing keynote speaker for the World Communication Forum. She was excited to have the opportunity to speak with global leaders about how nonnative English speakers can present their ideas — and themselves — with greater clarity and confidence. For Deborah’s allotted 45-minute time slot, she prepared high-quality research, relatable examples, actionable takeaways from her book on the topic, and ample opportunities for audience engagement.
But then, the conference ran late. Every single presentation and panel prior to Deborah’s talk exceeded its time limit. By the time her closing speaking slot arrived, she had only eight minutes to deliver her 45-minute presentation — a presentation she had flown across the Atlantic Ocean to give.
Here’s what Deborah wanted to do: cry, insist on her full time, and then hop on the next plane back to New York.
Here’s what she did instead: managed her emotions, empathized with the audience’s wants and needs, and delivered an eight-minute presentation that gave them practical tips and tools that they could use immediately.
Here’s how it went: great. Participants shared their appreciation for Deborah’s adaptability, focus, and her good humor, as well as their gratitude that she didn’t make them late for dinner.
In the moment, Deborah chose servant leadership over self-interest.
The term servant leadership was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf and refers to a leader who “shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.” This is in contrast to the traditional leadership model which focuses on the power of one at the “top of the pyramid.”
As public speakers, we can often feel like we’re at the top of the pyramid because we’re at the front of the room. It can be tempting to interpret a presentation as an opportunity to showcase what we know rather than address what the audience wants and needs to know. But that makes it about us, not about them. In contrast, speakers as servant leaders demonstrate self-awareness, empathy, and foresight. Here’s how you can do the same.
What Makes a Servant Leader? Self-awareness.
As soon as Deborah realized that she was going to have to cut almost 80% of the presentation she had been working on for months, she felt flooded with both anger and anxiety. She was angry that other speakers went over their allotted time. She was anxious that she wouldn’t be able to adapt her remarks in time to make them both concise and compelling.
And she also realized that, as a visibly expressive person, she could pass that anger and anxiety on to the audience. Emotions are contagious, and leaders must recognize that their feelings can “infect” others, for better or for worse. Furthermore, the more expressive someone is, the more likely others are to notice that expression and mimic it.
Unless she wanted an angry and anxious audience, she had to manage her emotions before taking the stage. Chances are, you’ve experienced anxiety (among a host of other emotions) before making a presentation. Leverage that self-awareness to make sure you’re not infecting your audience. One strategy is to “name it to tame it.” Originally developed by Dr. Daniel Siegel, founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, this technique involves noticing and naming how you’re feeling as it’s happening. Identifying your emotions can quickly reduce the stress and anxiety in the brain and the body that that emotion is causing.
You can also ask yourself, “WTF?” (“What the func?”). According to Dr. Susan David, co-founder and co-director of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital and a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, our emotions serve a function. They’re trying to get our attention and to remind us of the needs and values that we hold as important to us. When you present, ask yourself what functions those emotions serve. Maybe you feel anxious because you care deeply about accuracy, and you don’t want to get the facts wrong. Perhaps you feel worried because you’re motivated by harmony, and you’re about to say something that could rock the boat.
And, if you’re like most people, you feel anxious speaking in front of people in general because you value excellence (“What if I don’t do a great job?”) or acceptance (“What if they don’t like my ideas?”). Harness your drive towards excellence to practice delivering your presentation aloud to a colleague, and use their feedback to improve it. If you’re concerned about acceptance, practice with a colleague who will play devil’s advocate with you. By practicing how you manage pushback and objections, you’ll gain additional insight into your audience’s concerns and be better prepared to address them in the moment.
Whatever your hard feelings are, know that they’re pointing you towards something you value — and towards something you can use to become a more audience-centered presenter.
Empathy
If one were to ask about the most common mistake presenters make, it wouldn’t be about using filler words, having dull PowerPoint presentations, or struggling with tough questions. Rather, it would be leading with their own ideas and interests rather than showing empathy towards the hopes and fears of the audience.
Presenting with a servant leadership approach flips this model. Rather than prioritizing your own agenda, you put the agenda of the audience ahead of yours. You seek first to understand rather than to be understood. You show curiosity, concern, and compassion for others, even if you have a different experience.
In Geneva, Deborah wanted all 45 minutes of the stage time she was promised. But she knew that fighting for air time would be in service of her and not in service of the needs of her fidgety, hungry listeners.
So, she prioritized their need to get the most applicable information from her presentation over her desire to tell interesting stories. She told them that she recognized that she was all that was standing between them and dinner and that she wouldn’t make them late. And she mentioned that she knew that they had been sitting for many hours and invited them to stand up, walk around, stretch, or do whatever they needed to do while she spoke.
Here’s an exercise you can do to help you develop the empathy you’ll need to present from a servant leadership perspective: Picture a bed — any bed. Let that bed inspire you to ask these servant leadership questions about your audience.
What gets the audience out of bed in the morning? In other words, what excites and motivates them? Is it growth, opportunity, collaboration, or innovation? This provides a clue for the presenter on what to prioritize in their presentation. In the case of an internal presentation, this information is likely available from previous meetings, conversations, or emails with the audience. For an external audience, the presenter can reach out to the meeting convener or a few attendees through email or a quick phone call to gather this information.
What keeps the audience up at night? What are their concerns? Is it time, money, quality, headcount, visibility, viability, or reputation? These concerns offer another clue for the presenter on what to focus on in their presentation. The same strategies as above can be used to find the answers to this question.
Once you understand what’s on the minds of the audience, you can design your presentation to address these topics as a top priority. This approach will capture the audience’s attention and engage them because it demonstrates empathy over self-concern.
Foresight
Servant-leaders use their experience and intuition to learn from past experiences, understand today’s realities, and reasonably predict the consequences of their decisions for the future.
Good presenters should do the same. The author, Deborah Grayson Riegel, has been a professional speaker and speaking coach for three decades, which gives her the insight to anticipate that maintaining an audience’s attention beyond their expected time can be challenging. This understanding is drawn from her experience as both a speaker and an audience member.
On the particular day in question, several speakers before the author had exceeded their allotted time. With only eight minutes left before dinner and 45 minutes of content to deliver, the author could predict that going over time would result in the audience losing interest. Rushing through the content, on the other hand, would overwhelm and confuse the audience, undermining the author’s credibility as a speaker. Therefore, Deborah’s decision was to deliver the most essential content to the audience and get the conference back on track.
Considering Your Audience
As the presenter thinks about addressing your audience, you should ask yourself these questions:
- What do I know about their understanding of the topic? If unsure, you can seek insights from someone who has that knowledge. For an audience with minimal understanding, you should include foundational education about the topic, avoiding jargon, acronyms, and technical terms. This ensures that the audience can follow and understand the presentation. If the audience is already knowledgeable about the topic, you should start at their level.
- What if the audience consists of individuals with varying levels of knowledge? In such cases, the presenter should consider who the primary audience is and gear the presentation towards them while still being inclusive. The presenter can acknowledge the diversity of expertise within the group and invite contributions from those with more experience.
- What does the audience want the presenter to understand about their current reality? To connect with the audience, the presenter should show understanding and compassion for their situation and feelings, particularly if there’s a difference in power or perspective. This means “meeting them before you move them,” acknowledging their concerns and perspectives. It involves listening actively and engaging in a dialogue rather than a one-sided monologue.
- How can the presenter provide the audience with an opportunity to continue the conversation beyond the presentation? Acknowledging that the audience may have more to share, the presenter should express a willingness to keep the conversation going after the presentation. They can offer ways for the audience to reach out, such as staying after the meeting to chat, sharing their email address, or connecting through LinkedIn.
Conclusion
Being an exceptional public speaker goes beyond flashy introductions and eye contact. It’s about addressing what the audience wants and needs to hear, enabling them to make informed decisions, take action, and feel a sense of empathy and ownership.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
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