About 160 years ago, the first news message was sent using the electric telegraph, which had just been invented. The message went from Baltimore to Washington, D.C., which is 40 miles away, in a flash over wires.
The public was amazed, but Henry David Thoreau wasn't one of them. He wrote, "We are moving very quickly to build a magnetic telegraph from Maine to Texas, but it's possible that Maine and Texas don't have anything important to say to each other."
We are in a Golden Age of communication right now. We have Internet access. There are faxes. There are emails. We have streaming video. We have audio on the web. We have RSS feeds. We have logs and blogs.
Still, Thoreau is as right as the rain today. We're still in the Stone Age when it comes to really getting our points across.
This is why. I've met a lot of business leaders, and the vast majority of them make the same big communication mistake over and over again. This mistake is hurting their jobs and careers. They have to keep giving talks and presentations. They are NOT giving talks on leadership!
What is a talk on leadership? Here's how to look at it: When it comes to business leadership, there is a hierarchy of how to persuade people with words. Speeches and presentations are the lowest level. They get information across. The Leadership Talk is the highest and most effective way to talk to someone. The Leadership Talk does more than just tell people about things. It helps the leader connect with the audience on a deep, emotional, and human level. Leaders talk to each other there to get the best results.
Here are some examples of talks about being a leader. Churchill showed leadership when he said, "We will fight on the beaches." When Kennedy said, "Don't ask what your country can do for you," that was a talk about being a leader. When Reagan told Gorbachev, "Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev! That was a talk about taking charge.
You can also think of many examples. Think back to the times when a leader's words moved people to act with passion, and you've probably found an example of a real leadership talk.
Keep in mind that I'm not just talking about the most important people in history. I am also talking about all leaders, no matter where they are or what they do. After all, leaders talk 15 to 20 times a day, in both formal and casual settings. When these interactions are not just speeches or presentations but also leadership talks, the leaders are much more effective.
Business leaders talk to each other there to get the best results. People can go from A to B if you tell them to. But the best way to get people from A to B is to make them want to go there. Isn't that what good leadership is all about? Making people want to do something and getting them to do it?
Don't get me wrong. The Leadership Talk is not just a way to make people feel good. It took me 20 years to learn how to give Leadership Talks and write two books about it. To be able to give Leadership Talks, you have to follow certain steps. Most of the time, it takes me two days to show someone how to do it. Once they know how to do it, they can use it for the rest of their lives. The Leadership Talk is easy to learn, but it takes years to get really good at it. The point is that you can use it to take specific, actionable steps to get people to do things that will have great results.
For example, before leaders can put together and give a "Leadership Talk," they have to answer ""Do you know what the audience wants?" "Do you know what the audience needs?" Can you get other people to believe as strongly in the challenges you face as you do? And can you get them to act in a way that gets results?" Leaders can't give a Leadership Talk if they answer "no" to any of these questions.
160 years ago, the dots and dashes that went from Baltimore to Washington over the wires told everyone that the Whigs had chosen Henry Clay to run for president.
Thoreau might have said back then that nothing important was said, but if you want to be a great leader and get great results, you should listen to Thoreau. Tell people what's really important. Don't give talks and presentations. Talk about being a leader. Make connections with your audience that are deep, human, and emotional. Get them fired up to work hard to get great results.
