I’m a big fan of being authentically yourself when you speak in public — so much so that I wrote a book on the subject, along with this blog post… and this one… and this round-up of blog posts… and, well you get the picture. So What Is This “Avatar” Thing? Your Avatar is a streamlined version of your best Read More
Authenticity and Avatars
Public Speaking Tip 90: Cultivate the Greatest Public Speaking Skill of All, Self-Acceptance
In the not-too-distant past, I spent more hours than I’d care to admit binge-watching a reality TV show called Say Yes to the Dress. (Men, stay with me; I swear this applies to you, too!) The show is set in Kleinfeld’s, a famed NYC store that stocks 2000 wedding dresses. Real women are pretty scarce Read More
Public Speaking Tip 89: Learn the Public Speaking Lessons of Orphan Black (Hint: It’s All About Your Avatar)
Like everyone else who’s seen the show, I’m knocked out by Tatiana Maslany’s performance in the BBC’s drama, Orphan Black. By the end of season 2, she had played 7 totally different women who discover that they’re genetically identical clones. Pictured (l. to r.) are: corporate control-freak Rachel; soccer mom addict Alison; crafty street survivor Sarah; mellow science Read More
Public Speaking Tip 57: How to Develop Executive Presence
What Is Executive Presence? You may have heard the phrase “Executive Presence.” And while it’s hard to define exactly, the phrase refers to the group of qualities that signal your capabilities to others. Sylvia Ann Hewlett notes in Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success that it is not enough to have top-level capabilities. In order to succeed, you must Read More
Public Speaking Tip 53: Learn from Amy Cuddy, and Fake It Till You BECOME It
NOTE: Since I wrote this post, some details of Cuddy’s research have come under harsh attack from her peers, as described in The New York Times on October 22, 2017. (“The public nature of the attacks against Cuddy have reverberated among social psychologists, raising questions about the effects of harsh discourse on the field and particularly on Read More