Wisdom of a Warrior

As a communications practitioner and a member of both Toastmasters International and the International Association of Business Communicators, I am passionate about achieving and promoting excellence in both oral and written communication, in all spheres of life. This post is the first in an occasional series where I’ll share examples of great communication that I’ve found and techniques that anyone can use to improve their own speaking and writing.

[Alex Dunne/Flickr]

Padmasree Warrior is a Senior Vice President of Engineering and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Cisco, the company that builds the hardware and software that make up the heart, bones and nerves of the global internet.

She is a respected leader in her company—responsible for driving innovation and strategy and overseeing the efforts of 24,000 engineers—as well as in her industry. She has been named one of the 100 most creative people in business and in 2009 was on President Obama’s shortlist of candidates to become the first CTO of the US federal government.

Here is the video of a keynote speech that Padmasree gave at the 2009 Women of Vision Awards ceremony honouring outstanding women in the field of technology. In it, she talks about leadership and managing personal change. I think it is a great example of excellence in public speaking. Padmasree delivers herself in a way that is engaging, authentic and memorable and she does so with great skill.

Regardless of whether your next speaking assignment is a talk before a social group, a business presentation or a dinnertime keynote address, here are five things you can learn and apply from this talk to improve your next speech.

1.   Speak from your personal experience. Padmasree devotes the biggest part of her talk here to sharing the story of her own personal and professional growth, beginning as a teenager in southern India and later traveling to the USA to further study and begin her career as an engineer. In talking about her life, she could relate to her audience—and them to her—since she was speaking to current and future women leaders working in Silicon Valley, like herself.

If you are invited to speak to a group, remember that it’s because they think you have something they want to hear. In deciding what to say, bear in mind that speaking out of your own experience or personal conviction will enable you to be most authentic and more engaging. Look into your own life for the experiences, insights or lessons that are most meaningful to you and that reflect your chosen subject; then share them in a way that will relate to and benefit your audience.

2.   Add a little laughter. Right at the beginning of her remarks, Padmasree is able to share in a natural, humorous way the conflicting advice that her friends gave her while she was preparing to deliver this very speech. Laughter puts everyone at ease—the speaker as well as the audience—and lets the audience know that, hey, this is someone I could listen to for the next 15 or 20 minutes. Never try to force jokes into your speech—especially if you’re terrible at telling them!—but it’s always good to start with something that will make everyone laugh a little and relax.

3.   Tell ‘em what you’re gonna tell ‘em. The speaker here starts the core of her talk by listing the five life lessons that she wants to share and then goes on to elaborate each point. This is a classic technique speakers use to build a talk: first, outline your main points, then develop each one in turn and, finally, recap and close. The audience knows exactly where you are going at any point and can follow along.

It’s best to make no more than three key points in a short speech—and never more than 5 or 6 even in a longer one. Outlining and reiterating your key points gives your audience a mental “frame” they can use to hang your words on and helps them to better recall your message after you’ve left.

4.   Smile. Padmasree’s smile is broad and warm all the way through her talk. A genuine smile while you speak helps gives your voice a warm and pleasant tone, shows that you’re relaxed (even if you don’t quite feel that way) and puts your audience at ease. So smile early and often whenever you have to speak in public.

5.   Practice. I’m sure that this masterful presentation by Padmasree didn’t happen by accident. From her choice of words, speech structure, poise and body language, you can clearly see that a good deal of preparation must have gone into delivering the final result. No matter whether your own speaking commitment is a major keynote address or just a few minutes of remarks, practice and rehearsal beforehand will always pay dividends on the day. You will get to hear and improve your voice, to fine-tune the words of your script and to really see how effectively the whole speech comes together.

Practice saying the words—out loud—and if you can, do so in front of another person(s) and get their honest feedback. When you take time to prepare in advance, it shows respect for your audience and allows you to deliver at your best.

Every businessperson and professional—man or woman—can take something valuable away from this excellent talk by Padmasree Warrior in which she also shares the five skills women need to be effective leaders today and in the future.

The video is in three short segments, you can begin watching the first part here. Enjoy.

BONUS: Early in her career as an executive, Padmasree Warrior sought out help to strengthen her personal communication skills. Feedback from her colleagues at the time indicated that she was seen as a brilliant and talented rising star. However, her peers thought that she was too soft-spoken and not assertive enough as a communicator and leader. I think you’ll agree that her years of work and practice in this area have really paid off! Padmasree sought out an executive coach but if you’re looking for a proven, inexpensive way to improve your own communication skills, consider looking into Toastmasters.