Every president hopes their administration will leave a lasting impact on the country. But what about a personal impact on individuals? If John F. Kennedy inspired public service, could President Obama inspire a generation of brilliant public speakers and persuasive influencers?
Whether you agree with his policies or not, there’s a lot you can learn from the suave stylings of the 44th president. I mean, the man won the Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album twice – in 2005 and again in 2008 — for reading his books on tape.
With the milestone of his First 100 Days in office coming up next week, there are two key areas where Obama has already proven worthy of emulation:
1. Public speaking. Executive speech coach Sims Wyeth shares “Five Ways to Speak Like Obama,” including tips on how to anticipate and incorporate opposition and how to pull off the president’s signature profound pause. For more see Michael Fitzgerald’s review of Shel Leanne’s book “Say It Like Obama.”
2. Selling an idea or proposal up the chain. BNET Blogger Stacy Blackman looks at a paper by two Stanford and Columbia professors on how Obama “marketed” the stimulus package to get it passed.
If, on the other hand, you want to learn how to get a senator to give you a cute dog, sorry — you’re on your own.
(Obama image by springhill2008 via Flickr, CC 2.0)
