What Are We Going to Do About It?
I once found myself dancing in a tavern in Bayfield, Wisconsin with a local woman whose hands were so rough that I couldn’t help asking her what she did for …
Literally Indefensible
The old joke: An Irishman walked past a bar. It could happen! Well, I feel the same about philanthropic, civic-minded billionaires. It could happen! Another one bites the dust. Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos, in …
Guest Post: A Bracing Rebuttal to ‘Leaders Who Dare Not Speak, Dare Not Lead’
My friendship with David Murray is almost as old as our respective adult daughters. It spans my entire career as a speechwriter and most of his second (or third) act …
Institutional Leaders Who Dare Not Speak, Dare Not Lead
I’m disappointed at the way leaders of American institutions are communicating these days. Or not communicating, as the case seems to be. I’ve been studying this phenomenon longer than most, …
No, Improvisation Does Not Equal Authenticity
Q: Does reading from notes during a speech make you “inauthentic”? A: NO I’m sharing this irritating post from an irritating person who I won’t promote any further. (Clue: it’s …
To a Writer Who Wants to Break Into Speechwriting
Had a call last week with a young journalist who wants to get into speechwriting. Or so he thinks, midair between frying pan and fire. He has spoken with a …
The Emperor’s New Thought Leadership Platform
Hey, I run the Executive Communication Council. It’s part of our charter, “To showcase to the business community and to society at large, what great leadership communication is, and the profound impact …
‘I Am Not Adjudicating These Issues’
Last summer our organization facilitated a founders’ meeting of the Higher Education Leadership Communication Council—a group of people who help higher-ed leaders communicate. Just in the nick of time, it seems. …
Fireside Chats Are Chummier (But Chumminess Isn’t a Strategy)
In response to a Professional Speechwriters Association survey, a speechwriter identified a problem in the leadership communication business these days: “Excited utterances and spontaneous speeches being confused for actual exec …
A ‘Hybrid Event’ Is a Football Bat
Exactly two years ago, on the cusp of our second virtual version of the PSA World Conference, I wrote the below. Today, tiptoeing toward our second straight in-person version—it’s October …