Martin Luther King (Dreier, 2016)
Throughout history powerful speeches have inspired, stirred and motivated great change. Many of these speeches have themselves become historical events, a legacy defining the time and shaping the future of humanity. (Viking, n.d)
In his speech best known as ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus of Nazareth teaches the central tenets of Christian living, which today is one of the most referenced and quoted sections of the Christian Gospels.
In 1964, Martin Luther King delivered the infamous ‘I have a Dream’ speech, moved a nation to support the civil rights bill outlawing discrimination in the USA. Today the words ‘I have a dream’ inspire people to never give up on what they believe in.
What can we learn from these great speeches? What makes a great Public Speaker?
Having analysed over 500 TED talks, Carmine Gallo, provides a comprehensive guide to Public Speaking success in his book, ‘Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds’. (Gallo, 2014)
Gallo outlines 9 ‘secrets’ as a guide to public speaking for results, including ‘Master the art of Storytelling’ and ‘Unleash the Master Within-Be Passionate’. As we examine these secrets their universal nature and historical similarities become evident.
Aristotle over 2,500 years ago determined that persuasion can only occur in the presence of ‘pathos’ or the connection of emotion to the message . Great ‘Public Speakers’ create emotion in the audience through the use of story telling and passion. (Ailes, 1988)
The core Public Speaking principles of Planning, Delivering and Evaluating is an accepted foundational structure, however great public speaking comes from the inclusion of additional elements, as discussed and written by leading Public Speaking commentators throughout time. (Beaumont, 2007)
This 2 minute video outlines some of these additional elements as a summary of Gallo’s ‘9 Public Speaking Secrets.’
Reference List
Ailes, R., 1988. Your are the Message. First ed. New York: Doubleday.
Beaumont, D., 2007. Secrets of Great Public Speakers Exposed!. First ed. Crows Nest(NSW): Dreams Express International.
Dreier, P., 2016. Martin Luther King was a Democratic Socialist. [Online]
Available at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/martin-luther-king-was-a-democratic-socialist_b_9008990.html
[Accessed 29 April 2016].
Gallo, C., 2014. Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds. First ed. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Viking, n.d. Great Speeches – Words that Made History. First ed. Sydney(NSW): Penguin Publishing (Australia).
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