There is no simple rules for how you should stand, have your hands, look, or dress when you give a speech. However you must achieve three things in order to powerfully support the verbal message of your speech. Sandy Linver in her book “Speak and Get Results” outlines the three areas: you must transmit authority, … Read more
I was recently at a lunch at IESE where Professor José Ramón Pin told a good story about human resources. If you want innovation and creativity, you need to recruit and collaborate with cats. If you want dependability and steadiness, but no surprises, you need to recruit and collaborate with dogs. If you have a … Read more
I am currently preparing the next year IESE MBA managerial communications course material and put down some rough notes on some key tips that differentiate powerful speakers from the rest. Speak with an intent to move people to action. Know what you want your audience to do immediately after hearing your speech. If nobody does … Read more
As a business owner, you tend to hear a lot of stories about better business, tips and tricks of the trade, and lessons about management. Out of all of them, though, there’s one story that has stuck with me through the years. It’s a story that taught me to enjoy every aspect of business, and … Read more
An old traveller has seen the world. He is restless and keeps moving. One day he is in the distant mountains in an area not known to him. On this particular day, after a long walk through a mountain valley, he sees a shady tree and what looks like a good place to rest on … Read more
A monk and his followers live near a river. Each morning they go down to the river. One morning, a scorpion falls into the river. The monk reaches out and picks up the scorpion placing him on dry land. His hand is stung painfully. The next day, the monk and his followers go down to … Read more
Jim Rohn says that there are four simple steps to becoming a great speaker: Have something to say. Say it well. Read your audience. Intensity (the right words mixed with measured emotion). How do we get something good to say? Live a full live. Meet lots of people. Fail. Succeed. Remember what it felt like … Read more
A traveller is lost in the dessert. The sun is beating down. His mouth is parched and dry. He is disoriented. In an effort to survive, he begins walking towards the only sign he can see – some mountains in the far distance. After an hour of struggling through the sand, he comes across the … Read more
6 months ago I had the privilege of a visit to the Sagrada Familia with the head structural architect of the works and a friend of mine who is the owner of the oldest architectural practice in Spain. I will never see the Sagrada Familia the same way again. Sharing in the passion of these … Read more
For the rest of your life begin every memo with the word “This.” It allows you to get started, and to tell the reader in the first sentence what the purpose of the memo is. If it’s under €3 million, put it on a single page. This forces you and your reader to focus only … Read more