Over three months an in-depth study was run by the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne on a group of MBA students to measure if their leadership qualities could be increased through the teaching of Charismatic Leadership Tactics (CLT).
By the end of the study, a staggering 60% increase in their leadership qualities was recorded. They were viewed as more influential, trustworthy, and leader-like in the eyes of others.
There are 12 specific tactics the MBA students learned in order to influence how their leadership abilities were perceived and acted upon in various situations.
The first nine tactics were specific to verbal skills. They were taught how to include metaphors and stories into their speaking, and use contrasting communication around subjects and rhetorical questions.
They were taught how to craft three-part lists; the use of expressions of moral conviction, reflections of a group's sentiments, setting high goals, and conveying that they could be achieved.
The last three tactics are non-verbal. Using an animated voice, facial expressions, and gestures.
It may sound like a lot to take on, and it is, it's taken me over 20 years to understand how all of these skills can be used to create a truly magnificent talk or presentation.
So I'm not going to overwhelm you by trying to impart what I know, let's just start with an overview of these five things that your talk must have to inspire your audience to take action.
If you want to become a sensational speaker that people rave about and regard as truly inspirational then you will need these five key qualities to succeed.
1. Be Engaging
This is achieved when you remove all of your insecurities; you stop focusing on your need to be liked, your need to be validated, your need to feel special and important. Instead, focus on the needs of the people around you, become present, and naturally engaging.
2. Be Entertaining
Understand that your content is not enough, know that there are many aspects of communicating information that needs to be taken into account. There are many different ways of receiving and processing information, and without an element of entertainment, you are avoiding some of your audience's needs.
Be willing to push yourself outside of what's innately comfortable to add an element of entertainment into your talks. Understand that your level of comfort requires being pushed for the benefit of the audience. Try finding some interesting stories, photos, or videos to help add entertainment to your presentations.
3. Be Educational
There has to be something of value that the listener can take away from your talk. Make it easy for people to understand your content. Be considerate of meeting people where they are, at their level of understanding about a subject, and take them on a journey to increase their understanding. This can be hard when you are a subject matter expert, so think back to the basics you needed when you first started your journey and remember that these are the foundations of your understanding.
Structure your content in a way that is focused on the needs of the audience, not on the needs of your ego. Craft your content into a logical and easy-to-follow format. Use stories, metaphors, and examples to help people understand the complex subjects in ways that will relate to them. Use PowerPoint to help your audience, not yourself.
4. Be Emotional
You have to create a resonance in frequency so your audience becomes in tune with you. Mirror neurons dictate that you will connect with your audience if you are emotionally connected to your content. Emotional states are malleable; ours and those of others. When we are connected with our emotional states we can magnify them, allowing our audience to resonate, connect, and embody them. When we can affect the emotional states of others we can inspire a physiological and mental shift in their thinking.
5. Be Inspirational
Believe in what you are saying. See the bigger impact of your talk, its potential, and motivate others through your vision. The talk is about something bigger than yourself and speaks in terms of everyone; be naturally inclusive in your language, speak in terms of possibilities. Be obviously passionate about your subject. Do everything possible for your audience to feel your passion and invite them to share in your vision.