The Humble Business Speaker
Now that I’m a Professional Keynote Speaker it is so important to be a humble business speaker. With so much praise and applause,business speakers can swell with pride and get a big head. Is there anything worse than having to listen to someone brag and boast about themselves in a business speech?
Here’s a fantastic and simple way to genuinely be unique as a speaker. Ready for this? Be a servant. That may mean something as simple as getting your spouse a cup of coffee or buying your co-worker a Coke. Don’t ask “How much will this inconvenience me?” Instead, ask “How important is it to them?”
One of my friends was having marriage difficulties. Separation seemed imminent. I asked, “What do you want from your marriage?”
He replied, “I want to make it work. What do you suggest I do?” I offered this most important question:
“What is the one thing you could do tonight that would absolutely shock her with glee?”
Without even a blink, he chimed, “Oh, probably cleaning the toilets.” I said, “Well, there it is, my friend. There’s the solution.”
With a disgruntled look, he complained, “What do you think I am – a servant?”
I mused, “Now you’re getting it.” He did not clean that toilet.
“It just didn’t ring true for me,” he later told me. By the way, they’re now divorced.
In my rather old and worn binder, that I take to all my speeches, is an index with the words
“who can I serve today?” as a reminder to me each time I arrive as the business speaker.
Perhaps there is no nobler position or title to describe us. Be a servant.
“I slept and dreamt that life was joy;
I awoke and saw that life was service;
I acted and behold, service was joy.”
– Rabindranath Tagore