Speaking as a Leader Paper Example

Introduction

The book, Speaking as a Leader gives insight and guidelines that a person can use to enhance speaking skills. It is a motivational book written by Judith Humphrey and published by John Wiley & Sons Canada, LTD. It guides on how one can lead every time he/she speaks. Speaking as a leader is a book that will enable you to achieve power by bringing forward your ideas and expressing the ideas with clarity. The book focuses on beginning with vision, thinking beyond hierarchies, moving from information to inspiration, moving from negatives to positives, speaking with conviction and committing oneself to communicating.

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Chapter 1: Begin with Vision

As a leader, it is essential to have a clear sense of a larger goal. It is vision

Importance of Vision

Vision shapes all communications aligns remarks with overall goals of the organizations. It also highlights important areas prospective leaders should focus. Visions shape everything leaders do. Having a vision begins at the enterprise level. One then develops his/her vision. Visions should be focused, positive, attainable, and reflect the scope of the mandate (Humphrey, 2011).

Chapter 2: Think Beyond Hierarchies

The power of hierarchies can turn people into pale shadows of their former selves. Leaders at all levels must be willing to influence others. Regardless of one's position in the hierarchy, everyone has a responsibility to lead. Leading takes a different shape depending on whether you are speaking to your juniors or seniors.

In this regard, thinking beyond hierarchies involves leading from above, resulting from the side and leading from below. It is important to be political, be direct and be bold when leading from below. Conversations within or outside organizations are opportunities to shape and direct the thinking of the audience, not taking into consideration their job titles or positions. It requires different skills to lead from above, side or below (Humphrey, 2011). If one sees every conversation as a leadership opportunity, the person is in an excellent position to develop skills of becoming a successful leader.

Chapter 3: Move from Information to Inspiration

Neither the pure information nor pure inspiration is ideal. For one to become a leader, he/she should have a message or a vision that drives the talk. It is the true meaning of moving from information to inspiration. There are reasons and misconceptions about why speakers use the informational approach. They tend to believe that presenting information with without a cogent argument is safe. Other misconceptions are presenting data-loaded talk shows that a person is an expert; the corporate culture demands information- heavy presentations among other misconceptions.

Chapter 4: Move from Negatives to Positives

If you want to think like a leader, moving from negative to positive will help shape your vision and your formal and informal speaking. Successful leaders resolve to remain positive and move from the negative trap. Negativity undercuts leadership. Leadership involves inspiring others and taking an audience to higher ground, a place of possibilities (Humphrey, 2011). People are unnecessarily negative because they are not political; they let their guard down, lack of confidence, sharing their fears among other reasons. To move from negative to positive, avoid unnecessary negatives. Also, look to the positive in adverse situations; focus on solutions, not problems. Also, keep your language positive and spend more time on the positive.

Chapter 5: Speak with Conviction

Most effective leaders communicate with conviction. In this way, their visions provide the direction. The conviction shows the strength of the viewpoint. Speaking with conviction means that you believe in what you are saying. The message is important to me, and so, it should be important to you.

References

Humphrey, J. (2011). Speaking As a Leader: How to Lead Every Time You Speak... From Board Rooms to Meeting Rooms, From Town Halls to Phone Calls. John Wiley & Sons.