<ol><li>Start with a story: It illustrates shared values.</li><li>Be personal and vulnerable.</li><li>Give credit to others: Sharing appreciation is not just a nice component of your speech, it is table stakes for taking the stage.</li><li>Speak about important topics.</li><li>Keep it short: Short speeches can also be more memorable.</li><li>Cast a vision: No matter what you’re talking about, make sure your message is positive and future-focused</li></ol>

Oprah's presentation technique

<div>
Even if you didn't watch the Golden Globes on Sunday night, you've probably heard about Oprah Winfrey's speech. While accepting the Cecile B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, Winfrey delivered a masterful speech that brought the house to its feet. The speech was stirring, and the social media response was swift and overwhelmingly positive.
The content of her speech stands on its own and deserves attention, but so does the speech's style. It was a master class in public speaking.
 <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Famberjohnson-jimludema%2F2018%2F01%2F09%2Foprah-just-gave-a-master-class-in-public-speaking-heres-what-ceos-should-learn-from-it%2F&amp;text=Oprah%27s%20Golden%20Globes%20speech%20was%20a%20master%20class%20in%20public%20speaking.%20Here%20are%206%20things%20CEOs%20should%20learn%20from%20it.">Oprah's Golden Globes speech was a master class in public speaking. Here are 6 things CEOs should learn from it.</a> 
CEOs and other leaders who find themselves at the microphone would do well to take note. Here are six lessons we can learn from Winfrey's remarkable acceptance speech:
Winfrey began with a powerful, but simple story of being a child in 1964, watching Sidney Poitier win an Oscar for best actor. "I had never seen a black man being celebrated like that," she said.
Stories are powerful. They stick in the mind long after the bullet point list on your slide deck has disappeared from memory. <a href="https://cvdl.ben.edu/blog/winning-hearts-minds-the-battle-for-diversity-inclusion-needs-authentic-leadership-heres-where-to-start/?utm_source=Forbes&amp;utm_medium=column&amp;utm_term=2018-01-09">Stories illustrate what is important</a>: the values we share, the concepts we most want to be understood.
In coaching executives who want to build strong, values-driven organizations, we always encourage them to make a list of the stories that illustrate the values they hold. Tell people to "innovate constantly," and they'll nod their head and go back to work. Tell people the story of a team member who used a $150 garage door opener to solve a multi-thousand dollar problem and you'll inspire people to think differently about their own approach to innovation and problem solving.
Do you want your team to remember something important? Start with a story. ( <a href="https://cvdl.ben.edu/10-minute-story-telling-tool-2/?utm_source=Forbes&amp;utm_medium=column&amp;utm_term=2018-01-09">Here's a tool to get you started telling stories</a>.)
Winfrey's story was personal, and her tone was vulnerable. She spoke of the commonality of experiencing shame, love, rage, and failure, saying these are part of perseverance and "how we overcome."
Leaders often try to convey a sense of unshakable confidence and invulnerability. When that's not true, team members can see right through it. The podium shouldn't be anyone's confessional, but it should be a place of authenticity.
Quincy Jones, Steven Spielberg, Stedman (Winfrey's longtime partner), and Gayle (Winfrey's best friend) were just a few of the individuals Winfrey name-checked in her speech last night, saying they were among the many who had sustained her and made her journey possible.
No one gets to where they are alone. Sharing appreciation is not just a nice component of your speech, it is table stakes for taking the stage. Leaders can win followers by giving credit where credit is due. Acknowledge those whose hard work made the company's progress possible, and be especially attentive to those who may never get to stand on the stage themselves.
Winfrey's speech celebrated women and people of color who have dared to speak truth to power. She spoke from a historical perspective grounded in harsh reality, but also spoke hopefully about the future. The topic was undeniably significant.
We live in an age of information overload. The team members in your organization are busy people. As a business leader, when you speak, make sure you speak about important topics. Don't ask people to listen unless you have something of value to say.
Winfrey spoke for just over three minutes - longer than the Gettysburg Address, but shorter (I'll wager) than the last homily at your church or the last TED Talk you heard.
Finding the key message is often easier in a short speech. Short speeches can also be more memorable, especially if (as we say above) you start with story.
Finally, no matter what you're talking about, make sure your message is positive and future-focused. Winfrey spoke of a new day dawning, a day where magnificent women and phenomenal men fight hard together to make a world of opportunity for girls, a day of safety and equality.
Any public speaking opportunity you have as a leader, whether it's for your team of five or an audience of 5,000, is an opportunity to share your vision for the future. People follow individuals who inspire them, who excite their imagination about what is possible. Cast a vision that compels others to join your journey.
Winfrey's Golden Globe speech has won her widespread praise and even calls for her to run for the U.S. presidency in 2020. Few of us can hope for those sort of success stories. But what we can do is deliver thoughtful, inspiring, compelling speeches about topics that truly matter. As leaders within our own organizations, this ability to communicate with clarity and compassion can point us toward the future and pave the way for success.
__
For more on story-telling as a tool for values-driven leaders, <a href="https://cvdl.ben.edu/10-minute-story-telling-tool-2/?utm_source=Forbes&amp;utm_medium=column&amp;utm_term=2018-01-09">check out these resources</a>. Share your own stories @ValuesDriven.
</div>

Even if you didn't watch the Golden Globes on Sunday night, you've probably heard about Oprah Winfrey's speech. While accepting the Cecile B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, Winfrey delivered a masterful speech that brought the house to its feet. The speech was stirring, and the social media response was swift and overwhelmingly positive.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Oprah Just Gave A Master Class in Public Speaking. Here's What CEOs Should Learn From It

Oprah's presentation technique

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

Barack Obama: A Master Class in Public Speaking [Video]

The Surprising Benefits of Journaling One Sentence Every Day

Public Speaking Tips: The Ultimate Guide From Brian Tracy

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Oprah Just Gave A Master Class in Public Speaking. Here's What CEOs Should Learn From It

Oprah's presentation technique

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

Barack Obama: A Master Class in Public Speaking [Video]

The Surprising Benefits of Journaling One Sentence Every Day

Public Speaking Tips: The Ultimate Guide From Brian Tracy

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career