Giving a motivational speech on leadership is quite different from preparing to deliver any other regular talk. This is because motivational speeches are meant to inspire change and spur action. They are intended to cause your audience to do different and do better.
While giving a motivational speech on leadership will be rewarding for the audience, it will also be very impactful on the one giving the address to know that they are doing something to make the world a better place.
It would help if you prepared beforehand to ensure that you deliver the speech successfully. Let us look at some of the few tips that will ensure your delivery is on point and that your speech influences action.
Tips on delivering a motivational speech on leadership
Some of the critical things to put in mind while giving a motivational speech on leadership are capturing your audience’s attention, being relatable, grasping your topic well, inspiring emotion, and compelling action. Let’s take a more in-depth look at each tip and how they’ll help ensure your speech delivery is successful.
1. Capture The Attention of Your Audience
To get your audience’s attention, you need to know what they expect to gain from the talk. You will need to engage your audience to be able to interact with them. You should also ensure that you have their attention before getting into the real content on leadership to ensure that they don’t miss a thing.
You can start the speech by asking a lingering question. It can be about the leadership skills that your audience has. You can also inquire where they see themselves in the future applying those leadership skills. This will get the audience in the right mindset and get them thinking about leadership. You can also present your audience with interesting facts about leadership to raise their curiosity and want to hear what more you have to say.
Humor can also be a great way to pick the interest of your audience. You can tell funny personal stories or those you have heard from other leaders. Jokes are always a great conversation starter, and you cannot go wrong with that. It will also help reduce the room’s tension and create a conducive atmosphere to have a serious conversation.
2. Be Relatable
Getting the attention of your audience is one thing, but maintaining it is something else. You have to deliver your motivational speech on leadership in a simple way that interests your audience and also be relatable to create a rapport with them. Make them talk about the challenges they might face on their leadership journey and how they will be impacted.
3. Grasp Your Topic Well
You cannot speak and inspire a group of people on something that you have no idea of. When giving your speech, ensure to provide specific examples. You can prepare statistics in advance and provide details on the leadership skills that will enable your audience to succeed.
Research your topic and have an outline of the key things to talk about. This will ensure that you are well organized and you will be able to speak with confidence. You will also talk passionately since you will be well prepared, and the motivational speech will be memorable.
4. Inspire Emotion
You should evoke emotions in your audience and make them as passionate as you are about leadership. Try and make your speech make them feel strongly about being different and starting change. People tend to remember more the things that happened while they were deep in their feelings.
You are likely to have more memories of experiences you have had while extremely happy or sad, frightened or disappointed. When speaking to your audience about leadership, creating vivid mental pictures of where they are and where they would like to be will help make them feel strongly about the issue.
It is the feeling that you invoke in your audience that will then compel them to take action. They will want to see change, and the passion within will cause them to be the changemakers. To do better and be better.
5. Compel Your Audience to Take Action
As mentioned before, inspiring emotion in your audience and making them passionate about leadership will compel them to take action. However, you should know your audience first to ensure you are on the same page.
Ensure that the audience is engaged before starting to enable them to grasp the contents of your speech. Once you have their attention, have them feel inspired, and then call them to action. You can do this by using a call-to-action, which is a statement or question after your motivational speech that will persuade and guide the audience to take action to get to where they want to be.
When making a call-to-action, make it very direct and straightforward. Ensure that the audience acts promptly. You can also help explain to your audience how they can overcome obstacles and reduce barriers that prevent the action. You should also explain why it is essential for the action to be taken and make it as specific as possible to help them know what they are working to attain.
It is crucial that you not only leave your audience thinking about making a difference but also motivate them actually to do something.
Examples of Motivational Speeches on Leadership
Example 1: What differentiates a leader from a boss?
“It is my greatest pleasure to be addressing the world’s top CEOs today. I have never been in a room full of power like this, and I am truly humbled.
Have you ever wondered if your employees listen to you because they respect you and whatever you say makes sense, or because you are the boss? Do they consider you a leader? What do they say about you behind closed doors?
I can see you are all thinking about it now. I know you wish to know what your employees have to say about you. If you haven’t been the best of leaders, worry not because leadership is a learning journey. Today I want to talk to you about what differentiates a leader from a boss. Being a CEO does not automatically make you a leader.
You must be wondering, what difference does it make if your employers see you as a leader or boss? The truth is, it matters. It will even affect the output you get from your employees.
All a boss does is manage their employees. On the other hand, a leader motivates and inspires innovation. A leader helps employees to think creatively and innovatively. If, as a leader, you are chasing greatness, your employees will follow you and even have you as a role model or mentor. This translates to them pursuing greatness and giving their jobs the best. Eventually, the organization does well. A boss or manager just has people working for them.
While a business needs to have set goals for the employees to achieve, a leader sets more than goals. They offer the organization a vision. A boss will push employees to attain their goals, while a leader will ensure they share the same vision for the organization with the employees. The organization will, therefore, be working with a long-term existence in mind.
Being a manager means mimicking and adopting an already existing leadership skill. However, leadership calls upon the individual to be bold and proud to walk in their shoes. As leaders, you need to work extremely hard to build your brands to stand out. Authenticity and transparency are all part of the leadership journey.
Some of you in this room have taken huge risks for your organizations. If you have, then pat yourself on the back because you are a great leader! Leaders always take risks for their businesses. Bosses work to avoid risks.
To be a boss or manager, you will need to have proven your skills already. There is no pressure to grow and horn your skills once you are up there. Therefore, it is no shock when some of you think that this is the end of the journey for you; being a CEO. However, leadership is an endless journey of learning. To better and improve your skills. It is upon you to seek personal growth every day.
It is expected of a boss to direct and give employees instructions on how to get things done. Leaders coach their employees and offer guidance to make them be at their best. Leaders are optimistic about their employees and believe that they know what is expected of them. Therefore, they refrain from telling the employees what to do and barking orders.
As movers and shakers in your various fields, I must clarify nothing wrong with being a boss or manager. However, it is crucial that you also take charge and be a leader. Your organization needs both—an excellent manager who is a great leader. Therefore, I urge you to take charge today and see your organizations flourish with the excellent leadership that you offer”.
Example 2: What makes a Great Leader?
“It is my greatest honor today to be addressing the young leaders and changemakers of this great country. Having been in the leadership scene for a while now, I have seen many leaders rise to the top. I have also seen the unfortunate fall of some.
Have you ever wondered what makes a great leader? Leadership is a journey, and it takes time to horn your skills.
To be an excellent leader, you need to be thoughtful. You should be able to portray that you have a strategic vision in place. As a leader, you need to be conscious of what is happening around you to make wise decisions. Leadership is about having a voice. You should be bold and confident enough to communicate clearly to people under you.
Dear young changemakers, do not be fooled into believing that you are the only one with a say since leadership is about being the guiding voice. Many a time in this journey, leading will require you to listen and learn. This will also present you with an opportunity to groom other leaders. And when such an opportunity arises, do not be selfish. Share your skills. You do not dim your shine by lighting others.
You cannot walk this journey of leadership alone. You will need to have a mentor that will hold your hand and guide you. This will allow you to learn from both their mistakes and experiences. You will be lucky as you will have first-hand guidance on how to overcome some barriers and obstacles.
How will you be able to meet other movers and shakers if you live in your small bubble? Get out there and connect. In the current times, the world is run through social media, and you must connect with people. Volunteer for seminars and workshops or even organize events. Take part in committees and remember to network with purpose in mind.
As a leader, think positively and proactively. Always aspire to be part of the solution and not the problem. Exchange ideas with fellow leaders or people under you. You can also seek guidance from your mentor on how to solve certain issues. Be enthusiastic and passionate about what you do. It is only by doing so that you can pass on the passion and convince others to do better.
I urge you, young leaders of today and tomorrow, to hold each other hands. This journey of leadership is not a short race but rather a marathon. That to eventually get there and see the change that we want, we must start now. No matter how small, just start”.
Conclusion
When preparing to deliver a motivational speech on leadership, take time to learn from your audience. Find out what motivates and drives them and where they see themselves in the future. Assist them in envisioning their leadership journey and keeping the fire within them burning. At the end of your speech, your audience should be left knowing very well and leadership is a journey, and every day is a learning process.
