Books

Books : reviews

Christopher Witt.
Real Leaders Don't Do Powerpoint.
Piatkus. 2009

rating : 3.5 : worth reading
review : 29 June 2019

A book to read in an evening and use for a lifetime

Do you want to become a more confident, commanding and compelling speaker? Do you need to present yourself and your ideas with greater impact? Drawing on his years of experience in coaching executives, Christopher Witt shows you not just how to make a speech but why and when you should make one. He explains how real leaders speak to make a difference, to promote a vision, to change the way people think and feel and act. Christopher Witt’s practical advice on how to take your game to the next level includes:

You are the message
Who you are – your character. experience, values – shapes the message your listeners hear.

Content is king
Build each speech around one – and only one – ‘Big Idea’.

A confused mind always says no
When you want your listeners to say yes, you’ve got to make them understand what you want them to do and why they should care.

Dare to do the unexpected
Leaders know the rules, and they know when, why and how to break them.

This book has good advice on giving speeches (as opposed to lectures), with words of wisdom peppered with illustrative anecdotes. Because a speech is about getting across a single vision, it is more about emotion, and less about the recitation of dry facts. So, be yourself, be passionate, be focussed, and don’t use Power Point!