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🔮 How to Speak like a Visionary
Inside: Alain de Botton's speaking strategy
Alex Merry
October 16, 2023
Last week, I hosted a mastermind for some of the UK's most exciting keynote speakers. At the heart of the day was one simple concept...
Visionary thinkers share ‘unthinkable’ ideas
Let me explain...
In political science, there is a concept called the Overton Window. It says that there is a range of ideas that the public is willing to accept. Everything outside that window ranges from 'radical' to 'unthinkable.'
The Overton Window
The majority of business leaders and keynote speakers deliver messages that fall inside the window... they play it safe.
The result?
A forgettable presentation that inspires no one.
Visionary leaders do the opposite. They share unthinkable ideas. They push the boundaries of the Overton Window by challenging the status quo…
‘Vulnerability is a source of strength.’
‘Don’t tell people what you do,
tell them why you do it.’
‘Men must become feminists.’
‘Tech will turn humans into God-like beings.’
None of these ideas seem unthinkable today, and that’s the point!
A visionary talk should change the way your audience thinks and behaves. If it doesn’t, you’re probably not challenging your audience enough. But here’s where it gets really interesting…
What one audience might consider unthinkable, another might consider obvious; it depends on who you’re speaking to.
Cue philosopher, Alain de Botton in this 21-second clip on The High Performance Podcast… 🍿
To an audience that is used to hearing from guests with a win-at-all-costs mindset, the idea that
Embracing your own averageness is a
form of high-performance
is unthinkable!
That same message, delivered on a mindfulness podcast would have nowhere near the same impact.
Use the Overton Window principle to take your ideas from Expected to Unthinkable in three simple steps:
Define the status quo: ‘We live in a world where… 🌎’
Pose a question to challenge it: ‘What if…?🧐’
Use the Overton Window to uncover your unthinkable idea: ‘My contention is that… [insert unthinkable idea]'
Learning to speak like a visionary can have a profound impact on your personal brand.*
So whether you find yourself speaking in a boardroom, on a stage or in a podcast studio, push your audiences further and share unthinkable ideas that one day, will become the new normal.
Alex
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*Every January, I take a small group of leaders and push them to think and communicate BIG.
The goal? To land, write and deliver a visionary talk that will accelerate your personal or business brand.
The talks created on this programme have been delivered on big stages (like TEDx) and are now inspiring over 15 million people online; like this one from Mark Leruste.
We’ve just opened up early bird enrollment for January 2024.
To find out more, reply to this email with the word ‘visionary’ and I’ll share more.
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