Speak Like a Leader

A recent survey by leadership training giant Virtuali found that 83% of today’s employees wish their managers were better communicators. But where do leaders turn when they need a model of good communications tools? Look no further than a recent U.S. President.
 
Elected in 1960, and serving as President for just over 1,000 days, John F. Kennedy still boasts the highest approval rating of any president since WWII. His history as a war hero, civil rights champion, inventor of the Peace Corps, and space travel visionary endear him to the public, but he is, perhaps, best remembered as one of America’s most effective communicators. 
 
Whether addressing the nation during his inaugural speech, asking American University graduates to reexamine their attitudes toward world peace, or challenging our great nation to put a man on the moon, Kennedy communicated in a way that captured our attention and brought us along for the ride.  How did he do this? No doubt, some of his success stemmed from natural charisma. But, much of his method can be understood and replicated. 

 Three Communication Lessons from Kennedy

1. Understand Your Audience.  When Kennedy set out to win Boston’s Eleventh District Congressional seat, he received a lackluster response.  The privileged son of a multimillionaire, how he could possibly understand the public’s interests enough to represent them, people wondered.  Encouraged by his sisters, Kennedy began to spend more time talking with the public, asking questions of the people he sought to represent, and listening to their answers.  In the mornings, he’d travel to different factory gates around the city, introducing himself to people going to work and asking questions about their lives.  In the evenings, he would attend meetings of various women’s groups, listening to their concerns and asking questions to learn their perspective.  As his understanding grew, his communication style shifted from speaking at the public, to speaking with the public.  He began to address their concerns from a place of authentic understanding and care, and within a few months, won not only their confidence, but also their enthusiastic support and their votes.
2. Authenticity Matters.  When Kennedy entered politics at age 29, he was criticized as a “stiff and wooden speaker.”  He showed no talent for communication, either from the podium or at an interpersonal level, and was often accused of seeming completely void of emotion.  “He spoke with no trace of humor and never deviated from the text in front of him,” Kennedy biographer Robert Dallek says.  Kennedy began practicing his speeches with his father, who encouraged him to interject his own thoughts and personality as he spoke, rather than simply reciting what had been prepared.  As the months passed, Kennedy took a larger hand in writing his speeches.  He used personal anecdotes and simple language when he addressed the public, and they took notice.  No longer an aloof and privileged politician, Kennedy became a real person the public could know, understand and trust.
3. Know What Really Matters.  Kennedy did not always have the opportunity to speak to people in intimate settings.  However, by understanding his audience’s core concern or motivation—from our collective fear during the Cold War to our desire to put the first man on the moon—Kennedy was able to make a nationwide speech feel intimate and personal.  By speaking to the universal human needs for connection, security, happiness and success, he unified his listeners and brought them on board with his vision.

 
Today’s employees want authentic and accessible communication from their leaders.  President Kennedy understood that to communicate effectively, he had to understand his audience, care about what they wanted, and speak with candor and transparency – a powerful example as relevant today as when he led our great nation.
 
Are you wondering how to communicate more effectively with those you lead?  Would you like your managers to practice and refine their communication skills to improve employee morale and productivity?  Let us help!  Our unique approach to leadership training harnesses the power of experiential learning to teach time-proven leadership methods that get results.  Let us share more leadership lessons from President Kennedy and other leaders who mastered the power of words.  Bring your team to a workshop or staff retreat, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking timeless historical examples with your workplace issues.
 
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President Kennedy understood that effective communication is essential to effective leadership.  Do you believe your organization has open lines of communication?  What are some things you’d like to change, or ideas you’d like to try? Please share your ideas and comments, below.