Yes We Can!
“And so tomorrow… as we learn that the struggles of the textile workers in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas; that the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of L.A.; we will remember that… we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea – Yes. We. Can.”
Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States on the 20th January 2009. If there is one thing he will be remembered for, it might very well be his eloquence, memory and rhetoric, exemplified by his stirring speeches which are often littered with stories and quotations that people will one day recite in classrooms as demonstrations of the way to speak. Without taking anything away from him as a brilliant visionary, it must be said that it was the ability to effectively communicate his ideals and beliefs which enabled a man with “a father from Kenya, a mother from Kansas and a story that could only happen in the United States of America” to become the most powerful person in the world.
It is not just his amazing ability to inspire through his speeches. It is his active listening to the problems and worries faced by the average citizen whom he met throughout his political career; it is his non-verbal cues that showed off his confidence despite being put on the spot; it is his willingness to stand alongside volunteers campaigning in the depths of winter on the streets of Chicago; it is his ability to break down all barriers between him and the average American with a simple word - Change, and a slogan repeated numerously.
I am a person with ideals to change the world. Although politics is (in the foreseeable future) not my avenue for pursuing these changes, President Obama’s historic rise to Presidency offers many lessons about effective communication to my entrepreneurial pursuits:
1) In conversation, embrace difference - This is what makes you special. This is what makes others remember you.
2) Listen to the world around you - Identifying and solving other people’s problems is what makes one successful.
3) Do the little things - Actions speak louder than words, therefore being there for others, acknowledging jobs well done, and celebrating little successes will go a long way in gaining trust as a leader.
4) In public speaking, Practice, Practice, Practice - There is no other secret.
Most of all, the greatest lesson in communication, perhaps, is that in the face of the toughest challenge and the most demanding audience, self-belief will carry one through. Yes We Can.
