🌍 Lesson from Davos: How to get noticed on a panel

Despite the fact they take up 80% of the conference agenda, most panel discussions suck. They're a poorly masked PR fest that helps events sell more tickets 🎟️. But this panel at Davos 2019 was different. I share this because…

It’s why we host a member debate every month in MicDrop - my public speaking community for tomorrow’s thought leaders.

A chance to:

1. Commit to an opinion 🧠 

2. Voice it 🗣️, and

3. Practice challenging and being challenged 🤺

Off the cuff. In real-time. In a supportive space. Out of the public eye. With other speakers who’ve got your back.

Zero prep is required.

The goal?

To give our members the confidence to take a panel by the scruff of the neck and deliver something meaningful.

Just like in this astonishing clip from Davos 2019. Rutger Bregman and Winnie Byanyima take a bow… 🍿

Three things you can take away from this clip…

1. Use ‘I’ statements to set the tone 🐘
   It’s a way to express a viewpoint without directly attacking or challenging another person’s perspective.

2. Come into every panel with 3 impactful stories 🧨
   Winnie Byanyima counter-punched the former Yahoo CFO’s question with laser precision. Why? Because she had a story ready that directly addressed his challenge.
   
   To pull out that story and deliver it with the composure she did takes practice.
   

3. Nailing the panel is a critical part of a thought leader’s journey 🎤
   Like them or loathe them, panels are here to stay. Many leaders underestimate them (and wonder why they aren’t landing any keynotes). Don’t be one of them.

Alex

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