Page 94 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Built to Serve

To his credit, and with little assistance from his
supervisor or the company, he enrolled in a Dale

Carnegie course on public speaking. While he was a
whiz at mathematics, he knew he lacked confidence
when it was time to make presentations to the com-

pany’s top management. I vividly recall seeing my dad
practice in front of the mirror, struggling with his hand
gestures and the tips learned from the course.
His initiative left a lasting impression on me. When
I prepared to leave for college, he said, “Make certain

you take as many speech and debate classes as you
can.” When I arrived for my first year at Lubbock
70
= Christian, I immediately sought out E. Don Williams,

a professor of communications. “Dr. Williams,” I said,
“I absolutely must learn to speak in public.”
Dr. Williams mentored me the next four years. A
gifted speaker himself, Dr. Williams ensured that I par-
ticipated in speech competitions at universities and

colleges across the country. In addition to videotaping
my talks, he would put me through my paces with
impromptu subject matter on which I had just a

moment to collect my thoughts and present a speech.
In retrospect, this was a wonderful blessing and a
clear example of mentoring. Following graduation, I
was hired at the local ABC affiliate to anchor the