Craziest Campaign Speech Ever?

Phil Davidson really wants to be the treasurer of Stark County, Ohio. Really. It's a textbook case of how not to speak to your audience. What could Davidson (and ultimately all of us) learn from Martin Luther King's ¨I Have a Dream¨ speech? The Do's and Don'ts of passionate speaking.

If you have seen this video before, it's good (and amusing) to see it again.

Phil Davidson announces his candidacy for treasurer in Stark County, OH, and his passion is getting the better of him, with hilarious results.

Should you not have time to watch all 6 minutes, it gets intense at around 1:34 minutes. 



Before giving his next speech, Mr. Davidson might want to do some homework. For example, he should check out the speech below by Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963, to more than 200,000 supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC.

Most people have seen at least parts of this video before too; watching it gives me chills of inspiration every time.

The video is long, more than 17 minutes, but you will see (around 4:25 minutes) something that most analysts of great oratory miss.

King switches from his prepared remarks and starts dancing with his listeners.



Up to that point, his speech is mostly just another political speech. But this moment, when he dares veer off his prepared words and say not merely what he had to say but what his listener need to hear, turns his speech into a transcendent speech that makes history.

I call this crucial skillset Listening to the Listening. As I wrote in Communicate or Die,

¨In your own leadership, train yourself to listen to how others listen to you. Develop the skill of hearing the subtle signals and signs that show you the way and show you what to say.

In short, try to address the listening present in the room or on the call. You obviously cannot do this by sticking only to prepared remarks.

If you can sidestep your written agenda, your words will come from what your listeners need and want, and your speaking will be in tune with what needs to be said at any given time to produce the outcomes you and they need.

Remember that even King, in his history-making “I Have a Dream” speech, had to stray from his prepared speech and allow himself to dance with his listeners. Only then did his dream create a furor in America.¨

 Phil Davidson is not alone. We can all take a cue from Martin Luther King.

What do you think? The next time you do a presentation or sales pitch or phone call, see if you can listen to the listening. What are your observations? I look forward to reading your comments on my blog.

P.S. To invite your friends or colleagues into the conversation, click on the ¨Share¨ button above and/or retweet it. For tools on managing across cultures, check out my book Communicate or Die: Getting Results Through Speaking and Listening.

P.P.S. What do you want me to blog about? Where in your life or work do you need leadership? Where does it hurt? The reader/leader with the best comment gets a free e-book of your choice.