“古人の跡を求めず、古人の求めたるところを求めよ” (“I do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. I seek what they sought.”) -Japanese Poet, Matsuo Basho
I often show my students clips of excellent speakers, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs and Anthony Robbins, because I want them to see just how effective a speaker can be.
I can talk at them for hours, but I think they learn more from a few minutes of seeing and hearing a great speaker than they do from all of my yammering. It makes my explanations and suggestions more concrete and credible, if they can experience the effect of a dynamic voice, a well-timed pause or crisp, articulate language on themselves.
Yet in some ways, watching such great speakers seems to discourage them. They can’t imagine ever being that confident, that skillful, that powerful on stage.
I have to point out to them that the goal isn’t to speak as well as King, Jobs or Robbins, or any of the other skilled speakers we watch, nor even to speak as well as I do, which is a considerable notch below.
The goal is for each student to do what those great speakers are doing for the reasons that they are doing it.
The goal is not just to speak as dynamically as Martin Luther King Jr. did, but to speak dynamically for the same reason he did; because it grabs and holds the attention of the audience by adding meaning and emotion to the words you’re saying.
The goal is not to use pacing and pause to radiate authority and charisma the way Steve Jobs did, but to use pacing and pause for the same reason he did, because it draws the audience to you in anticipation and gives them space to mentally process what you say and add their own experiences, expectations and hopes to your words.
The goal is not to speak as crisply and articulately as Anthony Robbins does, but to choose your words precisely for the same reason he does, because good speaking comes from clear thinking, and making the effort to choose crisp, vivid, distinct words gives you the best chance to convey your true meaning and intention.
These speakers, and many more just like them, use their speaking skill not to impress their audiences or to put on a show, but to connect them with at the deepest and most profound levels and compel them to change.
Seeking wisdom led Matsuo Basho along the same path as the wise that preceded him, not because he was following them, but because he going to the same place, seeking the same wisdom.
Becoming dynamic, charismatic and articulate speakers is not our goal, at least I hope not. The goal is to teach, persuade, lead and inspire people to change. Learning to do that will require us to build the same skills that have made other speakers great, not because we want to be like them, even if we could, but because those are the skills that drive effective speeches and presentations.
That is what we must seek.
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