I sat in the Odeon cinema in Thornbury, Bradford on Saturday night when two tears left my eyes. I watched the struggle of a future King as he attempted to conquer a stammer, so he could speak in public. It reminded me of the communication fear I too once had. As a young executive in 1990 I soaked up the advice of a mentor of mine who said “banks of knowledge and expertise are wonderful, but they are wasted if you cannot articulate them to inspire people to a greater purpose than your own.”
Colin Firth's portrayal of King George VI shows us that all leaders and future leaders must be great communicators. The film demonstrates how the act of personal communication in written or oral form allows a leader to connect more effectively with his or her audience. That audience may comprise of subjects, voters, customers, staff, investors, suppliers or the media. Leaders may have different styles, personalities and methods, but they must be able to communicate on both an emotional and logical level.
The Oscar tipped film makes a powerful point about the journey to communication success. Nobody is born a great or poor communicator. Great communicators of the past and present like Obama, Martin Luther King, Cameron,Winfrey, Indra Nooyi (Pepsi) Jinnah, Nehru, Clinton and Yorkshires own Seb Coe were not born with the gift but improved and perfected their skills on a journey of training. I mentioned in my book ‘Love Your Customer, Grow Your Business’ that Winston Churchill learned his communication skills from an Irish American called Bourke Cochran. Churchill mentioned to the King that he too once had a problem with words. The audience in the Bradford cinema roared with laughter at the future King's practice routine. I did too. I thought that if a future King could “let himself go” to improve his communication skills, why do some leaders neglect this essential part of their job? Some reasons include arrogance, ignorance, laziness and fear. John F. Kennedy adopted the Kings' animated rehearsal before a live TV debate with Richard Nixon in 1960. We all know who looked more relaxed and engaging and who won the US Presidential race that year?
I have studied the World’s most successful people in business, politics, and media. I discovered the common trait among the most successful people in their field was/is their ability to communicate to motivate, inspire, guide and sometimes entertain. My shyness and lack of communication skills in 1990 were transformed through dedication to practice and the guidance of some of the best mentors in business and media. I later enjoyed a media career broadcasting to radio audiences of nearly a million people and live audiences ranging from 10 people to over 100,000 people. The King's journey reminded me of my own learning curve, and prompted the water in my eyes. I now enjoy working with an exceptional team as we share our expertise with some of the brightest business minds in The UK and Ireland.
The biggest lesson the film offers, however, is not HOW the King succeeded in conquering his impediment but WHY he succeeded. It is the WHY that gave him the fuel to do the HOW TO. Isn’t it true that when we give ourselves a big enough WHY that the challenges of HOW TO don’t seem as big? It was only when the future King knew he would have to wear the crown that he really focused and applied himself with zeal to learn how to give his speech. This gave him the strength to deal with disappointments and setbacks and allowed him to focus like a laser on his goal. A big WHY in business and in life prevents people attempting things half- heartedly or giving up too easily. A big WHY inspires success.
Kellcomm's WHY is that we want to put ourselves in a space where we can help people communicate with ethical influence with themselves, their family and friends and the people they meet in business to ensure maximum success. The Kellcomm techniques are so far advanced from those of the King's tutor, but we share one thing. We have the same absolute passion to help our clients succeed.
What is your WHY that fuels your HOW TO?
I wish you a fantastic week in business and in your personal life.
Warmest regards,
Darren Kelly
KELLCOMM
The Communication Experts
Leeds
www.kellcomm.co.uk
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