Speaking as a Leader

About the Author

Judith Humphrey is a renowned leadership communication expert, founder of The Humphrey Group, and a sought-after speaker and author. With decades of experience in coaching leaders to communicate effectively, Humphrey has developed a unique approach to leadership communication that emphasizes the power of inspiring and influencing others through clear and compelling speech. Her book, "Speaking as a Leader," provides a comprehensive guide to mastering the art of leadership communication.

Main Idea

"Speaking as a Leader" teaches that all communication is an act of leadership. To speak like a leader in all situations, one must be prepared to take the stage and inspire, influence, and move others. By thinking like a leader, following a structured script, using leadership language, and projecting a leader's presence, anyone can enhance their communication skills and lead effectively.

"Realize that your true power lies not in content, but in your vision. If the informational approach is about showing what you know, the inspirational approach is about showing what you believe and want others to believe." – Judith Humphrey

Table of Contents

1. Think like a Leader
2. Follow the Leader's Script
3. Use Leadership Language
4. Project a Leader's Presence

Think like a Leader

To speak like a leader, you’ve got to be prepared to take the stage and inspire, influence, and move others. Leaders see every speaking situation as an opportunity to motivate others. You need to know your audience and have the wherewithal to inspire them rather than merely informing them. You also have to be skilled at listening and learning from others to be a good leader.

"Place yourself in the tradition of leaders who speak with a vision that is focused, positive, attainable, and encompassing, and let that vision shape everything you deliver." – Judith Humphrey

Solid mental preparation is the first step in being able to speak like a leader. Leaders don’t just speak to pass the time with their friends. They have a vision for where their organization needs to head in the future and take every opportunity to describe that vision. For example, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, says Google’s vision is to: "Take all the world’s information and make it accessible and useful to everyone." Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, states Facebook’s vision as: "Making the world more open and connected."

When describing a vision in this way:

• Stay focused on a single mission which you can describe in one sentence. Send one message.
• Lift your listeners by inspiring and uplifting. Your vision needs to be positive, not negative.
• Make sure what you’re describing is attainable. If it’s unrealistic, people will become demoralized.
• Your vision should be encompassing and describe what you’re mandated to do.

You won’t just be called on to lead those who report to you. As you communicate, try to influence others who are above you, below you, and on much the same level in the corporate hierarchy. Just keep in mind a few suggestions: