Speaking From the Heart

When you talk, you pop off the screen. And actually, that’s a skill, right? I think in this virtual world, people are still figuring out how to come across better on the screen, and how to communicate better. What advice would you give leaders about strengthening their virtual communication?

A long time ago, I used to—and I think I alluded to this, I was a terrible public speaker. Terrible public speaker.

So was I. I know.

…Really bad. Again, I used to shake, I used to shake... And the reason why I was a terrible public speaker, growing up, I had a pretty intense stammer problem. My parents always thought that I was thinking too fast, that my words weren’t catching up. Sometimes it comes out. And so I’d always be very, very conscious of how I was talking and how I was coming off.

And so through practice, for sure, I think you feel more comfortable. I think the biggest thing though, is understanding, if you’re talking and people are looking at you, they probably want to hear what you have to say. You don’t have to convince them or anything. You don’t need to put on a show or anything like that. And the biggest piece of advice that I got, again, seems really simple, really, really simple, is speak from your heart. And you don’t know how many times, I’ve gone back to that after memorizing a script, after looking at questions and thinking about this.

The way like, when you – I think when we’re scheduling this, you’re like, “I attached some email, I attached some questions that I want to ask you.” And I told you, “I don’t want to look at them because I just want to speak from the heart.” If you want the real answers, I’m not going to look at these questions. I looked at them a little admittedly, honestly, just to see what I was up against.

Did I do okay?

You did a great, you did great. But again, it’s speaking from the heart. And whether it’s me on NBC News with Vicki, which I’ve been on, whether it’s me on CNN…

Vicki Nguyen, the anchor at NBC News.

Yes, who’s a fantastic human being. Or even if it’s me just doing an interview that’s likely going to be in print, I have always constantly reminded myself, just speak from the heart, speak from the heart, speak from your experiences. Don’t pretend like you know the answer. Don’t say things that you may not have experience with, just speak from your own experience, and you will compel the people that you need to. And so, I think it’s a combination of practice and training over many years, combined with literally just talking from my heart and talking from what I know to be true.