How Leaders Speak - Deciphering the Language of Success

How Leaders Speak - Deciphering the Language of Success
by Alan Major, CITT

Whether you aspire to become a leader in your organization or simply want to improve your performance, the gap between where you are and where you want to be is often found in your ability to communicate effectively.

Superior speaking skills are the “missing link” for many working professionals, not just for CEO’s and politicians. It is often the one skill set that holds people back in their chosen profession. This extends beyond your desire to climb the corporate ranks. Your current communication and presentation skills are probably already playing a part in the success of both your career and your department.

As a supply chain and logistics professional, you already know the increasingly important role your department plays within the organization. But awareness is not enough. How can you help the key decision makers in your organization better understand and appreciate the complexities of today’s integrated supply chains?

You persuade them with a compelling, well-conceived presentation.

There is a strong correlation between the ability to speak in front of groups large and small, and career success. In our rapidly changing workplace that is so reliant upon communication, this relationship is even more pronounced. The preparation for presenting with distinction to an audience of one or 100 begins long before you step to the front of the room. It all comes down to serving the needs of your listeners. Before you begin, you must always ask yourself one question:

Why is what you are about to tell your audience important to them?

In How Leaders Speak, you’ll learn how to identify the informational and emotional needs of listeners, how to hook them early and how to utilize commanding verbal and non-verbal techniques to exceed their expectations throughout.

How you communicate to senior management, to your team and to clients individually or in groups does impact how you are perceived within the corporate hierarchy. If you want to have a say in your future and the future of your department, it’s time to learn the basics about how successful leaders speak.

In How Leaders Speak - to be presented at Reposition 2008 in Winnipeg - delegates will learn:

• the seven powerful keys that leaders use to engage and influence their audiences
• how to create and maintain a dynamic, authoritative presence - and how to look and move like a leader
• practical, hands-on coaching from two of North America’s leading presentation skills coaches
• how to organize speeches and presentations quickly and efficiently for maximum impact
• how to overcome nervousness and communicate with confidence, like a ‘natural’
• how to hook even challenging listeners from the outset
• how to employ PowerPoint like leaders do
• how to wrap-up smoothly and deliver a strong, effective call to action

In the morning, you will learn about what it takes to speak and present with purpose, confidence and clarity. Through a fast-paced video session, you will quickly be able to identify the techniques used by accomplished speakers that sets them apart from their peers.

Later, you will be provided with a list of industry-related topics and be put to the test. You will deliver your own presentation and receive feedback from two renowned media experts. Delegates will then take to the podium and compete for prizes in a lively presentation showdown.

Whether you are a novice or an accomplished speaker, you will learn how to better engage your audience and convey a more commanding presence in order to realize your professional goals.

How Leaders Speak is presented by Jim Gray and Mary Civiello.

Jim Gray, Principal, Media Strategy, is a leading North American media strategist and communication skills coach. For 15 years, he has helped plan and implement sharp, productive communication strategies for organizations across a range of sectors.

Mary Civiello is president of Civiello Communications Group (CCG), and a former New York City television journalist who has earned accolades on both sides of the microphone.

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This learning session is presented in partnership with the Canadian Supply Chain Sector Council.

To register, please visit: www.citt.ca/reposition