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 …
Getting Communication Insight From Axios Is Like Getting Nourishment From Toilet Paper
My mother wouldn’t buy us Kraft cheese singles, because, she told us, “It has all the nutritional value of a roll of toilet paper.” The Axios Communicators newsletter has the …
“The Lehrman Landing”—and Other Jargon Speechwriters Should Use Constantly
For three decades I’ve been listening to complaints from speechwriters and other corporate writers who don’t believe they receive the deference they deserve, from their bosses or even from their …