Let There Be Light
I’ve always been a night owl. It seems to be hard-wired into my DNA. But a friend who recently visited me here in Wrightsville Beach, NC is of the early-morning variety. And I was introduced to a whole new concept.

Dawn
Yes, I took this photo at 6:41am. Which means I got up before dawn to hightail it over to the beach in order to witness an awesome sight. The sun rises. Quite literally, it moves up from below the horizon and claims center stage for all to see. Wow, what a sight!

No Matter What
the sun does its thing. With certainty and clarity. It enters the sky. The reception isn’t always welcoming. But cloudy, overcast, snow or rain…the show goes on.

And So Do You
Every time you communicate, it’s Showtime. Not in an egotistical way. But very simply, if you have the platform, screen, podium or microphone, and you are speaking while others (hopefully) listen, that’s Showtime.

Take The Light
I get that it’s not always comfortable. But when it’s your turn, step into that light and own it. This isn’t for you; it’s for your listeners. They need your perspective and your information. You provide light and guidance. You warm up the environment. You illuminate issues. You ignite curiosity. You lighten the load. You shed light on the path. Your words can change the temperature and which way the wind is blowing.

How Do You Do This?

1. Avoid minimizer words. Words such as just, kind of, hopefully, think, quickly, a little bit… take away from the value of what you’re saying. These words do you no favors.

2. No apologies necessary. Don’t say the negative; just start with the positive. Don’t tell us what you don’t have time for; just tell us what you do.

3. Name reality. Here is what we know… This is what is changing… Our #1 challenge today is…

4. Reduce the fog. Help your audience to see more clearly. Keep it simple. Cut down your reliance on jargon. Use shorter sentences.

5. Don’t get pulled off track. The sun doesn’t argue with a passing cloud. Remember your throughline and the purpose of your presentation. Find a way to hook back to your objective from sidebar conversations.

6. Close with conviction. The sun also sets, often in a blaze of glory. In other words, make your closing strong and memorable; don’t just fade out with Q&A.

As I Finished
writing this NewsNotes, I have to tell you what just happened. The sun was shining gloriously this morning. Then everything shifted, the sky grew dark and cloudy, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled and huge sheet-fulls of rain began to pour down. Ferociously and loudly.

And now? The sky has cleared and the sun is out once again. Slow and steady, calm and benign. Talk about perseverance!

Be the sun, my friends…

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