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GREAT COMMUNICATION SECRETS OF GREAT LEADERS
A note about using a teleprompter. A teleprompter (a term that has come
to mean any form of prompting device that projects words in front of the
speaker) is an aid that many speakers use. Used well, a teleprompter is a god-
send. It helps the speaker look at the audience and still keep his or her place in
the text. Used poorly, it can be as restrictive as a straitjacket on a mental
patient. There is an art to using a teleprompter, so if you have never used one,
practice with it first. If you are unsure about it, decline it unless you have a
couple of hours to practice. (If you use a teleprompter, you will need to get
your text or notes to the teleprompter operator in advance, preferably in com-
puter form, so that the operator can enter and format it for you.)
SELL THE MESSAGE
Part of delivering the message involves selling it—putting something of your-
self into the message. In Chapter 4 we discussed marketing the message, find-
ing interesting and sometimes novel ways to distribute it through different
channels. Selling the message is about persuasion and conviction, putting the
leadership commitment into it. Failure to do so can be hazardous, as Senator
Trent Lott discovered on the eve of becoming Senate majority leader. In the
wake of publicity about his offhand remarks in praise of fellow Senator Strom
Thurmond’s failed 1948 presidential bid on a segregationist ticket, Lott repeat-
edly tried to apologize. To many, his remarks seemed to lack sincerity and even
credibility, given that he had made similar statements in the past. Lott was crit-
icized by politicians on both sides of the aisle and rebuked by President George
W. Bush. (As a result, Lott resigned his leadership post prior to assuming it.)
In contrast, watch a successful salesperson make a sale. She is fully
engaged; she knows her offering and can make it come alive for the prospect.
More important, she is attuned to the prospect’s slightest nuance—a raised
eyebrow, a glance at a watch, a look of consternation, a breaking of eye con-
tact. These are telltale signs that the prospect is otherwise engaged and that
unless the salesperson acts quickly, she will lose the sale. So what does she
do? She shifts gears and tries another approach: asking a question, mentioning
another feature, demonstrating a key benefit. She works the prospect, looking
for signs that the message is reaching home.
Effective leadership communicators do the same. Whether it is Rudy Giu-
liani or Jack Welch, Mother Teresa or Shelly Lazarus, the communicator reads
his or her followers, looking for signs that the message is being received loud
and clear. When delivering a message, either one-on-one or to an entire group,
the leader can judge for him- or herself whether the message is hitting home.
Are people looking at the clock, looking concerned, or just not looking at all?
Good communicators, like good salespeople, can shift gears and, like actors,
find new ways to connect. How? Here are some suggestions: