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Today, January 23, 2013, Hillary Clinton testified on the tragedy in Benghazi before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I'll let others opine on the merits of her testimony. I suggest any woman or man who wishes to project their personal power go watch her appearance today.
In terms of style and skill, her testimony was a communication classroom to watch someone who knows what they're doing in this type of setting. My takeways:
- She sat up in her chair and engaged senators eye to face
- She was "all-in" - intellectually, physically and emotionally
- She gestured with purpose, synching gestures with words
- She varied her pace and punch while reading her statement
- She probably read from bigger font, short paragraph text
- She directed answers to her questioner, not the committee
- She let the questioner's emotional force wash past her
- She responded to sharp accusations in calm, neutral terms
- She raised her voice once, to confront issues, not a person
- She framed her answers in clear, common-sense realities
- She projected her competence, clarity and transparency
- She illuminated her own sorrow, responsibility and regret
Finally, for any women around the world who speak in front of committees of two women and a whole bunch of middle-aged guys, take a lesson here. Like Hillary did; don't play to their standards. Play to yours. Own your stage and space. Project your physical, emotional and intellectual power. Give them the whole package you possess.
The men on that committee respect Secretary Clinton and know she's a force to be reckoned with - partly by performance and reputation, but also by how she carries herself in the spotlight.
Love her or loathe her; she owns the room!
Tomorrow our President, Barack Obama, will deliver his second inaugural speech to the nation and the world.
This morning, a conservative professor named Thomas Basile wrote a piece on Forbes.com titled "Obama's Inaugural Speech Isn't Worth Watching." His Tea Party subtext is "Same Liberal Noise; Why Bother?"
On one level, he's right. Finding a memorable second inaugural speech is kind of like finding Paris Hilton's Greatest Film Roles.
Yet I contend that, regardless of political affiliation, you should watch the President's speech. We are always facing a dangerous and uncertain world - every inaugural - every President.
As in other times, global and domestic challenges abound:
- climate change becoming ubiquitous and unstoppable
- radical elements shifting political lanscapes everywhere
- terrorism growing more autonomous and amorphous
- nuclear weaponization nearing uncontrollable global reality
- crushing debt forcing retrenchment of liberal democracies
- potential for local and regional wars raging out of control
At the same time, global and domestic opportunities abound:
- democratic elements, though crude, toppling dictatorships
- a global middle class forcing enormous economic change
- potential U.S. energy independence with reward and risk
- science generating new discoveries in the universe
- genetic research revolutionizing treatment and prevention
- social media and technology fueling entrepreneurship
I encourage each American to ignore the cynics and all watch President Obama's speech tomorrow. This is a man unburdened by the need to run for office. A man who is faced with the folly of partisan gridlock. A man who is admittedly conscious of his own legacy as President.
I expect partisanship. I also expect leadership. We all hope and pray that the President lifts us as a nation toward higher goals than mere media combat and party line votes. We've had about as much of that as we can stomach.
We stand on the verge of this generation's last gasps and the following generation's first triumphs. In his speech, Barack Obama is not a JFK receiving the torch. He's Dwight Eisenhower preparing to pass on the torch. Next inaugural, he won't get to say anything. He'll be mute.
Regardless of your politics, we all acknowledge that President Obama is pretty good with the spoken word. Tomorrow, I expect him to elevate the dialogue beyond reasonable and reachable to what excites us all as Americans - the very real possibility of our collective greatness rescuing our reason.
Barack Obama is eminently capable of doing just that. Let's all watch tomorrow and see if he does. I guess Professor Basile will be sorting out his sock drawer.
In the context of great moments, this is like Ted Williams' last at bat. I expect our President to deliver just like Ted did.
A home run.
This post is about making an impact - from hello.
Colin Powell does. You can too!
On today's edition of Meet the Press, the guest was General Colin Powell. Whatever you think about General Powell's politics, no one can deny he is a man of tremendous significance and import in our world.
I won't dwell on politics. Rather I'd encourage everyone to borrow from his communication style for your next business meeting - whether it's with your board of directors or your boss or your bridge club.
David Gregory opens with an 8-word question about Chuck Hagel, the former senator who has been nominated for Defense Secretary. He asks Powell: "why do you think he should be confirmed?" Colin Powell launched into a 2:34 defense of his friend, Senator Hagel.
Here are some Powell Presence Points to observe from a professional leader and commanding communicator:
He sat upright in a neutral position
He wore a strong suit/tie/shirt combo
He gestured with head, hands and eyes
He spoke without any notes at all
He spoke from his head, heart and gut
He sounded calm and conversational
He absolutely owned his message
What he achieved was what I call an "opening statement to the jury" where he laid out his case. Can you do this in your next meeting? Sure. Rather than start with your head buried in a deck of slides, start upright with no notes. As I said in my last post, you can even ask yourself an opening question to stay conversational and look relaxed.
Lay out your case for 2 minutes. Before you get to slide one, you may get a question from the board or your boss. Welcome it. You are now back on your home court and you'll be fine. Just as General Powell was with the stream of questions that followed.
If you start any meeting like General Powell did today; you will own your stage from the first breath and you will establish a strong and commanding presence. Try it.
Perhaps General Powell, way back in high school in the Bronx, was a great communicator. Perhaps not. I'll bet you 20 bucks though, that he learned how to own his stage like this along the way.
Mimic his style. It works!
