From the day we were born, till we die, we communicate. A cry of a baby is “communication” asking the mother for milk. Invariably baby gets what is needed. Therefore it is successful communication. The successful communicators not only have achieved what they want, but have changed the world.
It is said that the great South African leader Nelson Mandela has become such a great leader due to “the blend of his princely upbringing, oratorical skill, and the inherent justness of what he stands for”. Out of several underlying factors of becoming a successful communicator, one trait that can be developed is our “oratorical skill”. Since ancient times, oratory was an important skill for any educated person who wanted to advance himself. From lord Krishna who narrated Geeta to motivate Arjun, to Swami Vivekanand who gave his historical speech in Chicago, to Honorable Prime Minister of India speaking at Madison Square; oratory is the common skill and tool used for leading.
There is an old saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Ideas written down have changed the destiny of men and nations for better or worse. The flow of ideas cannot be stopped. We need to read research to build on the good ideas and expose the bad ideas before they bring destruction. Only by reading can we be armed in this never-ending, life-and-death struggle Reading is important because words – spoken and written – are the building blocks of life. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People, families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. If you go deep into the lives of great leaders today, you will see that they have been and they are voracious readers. Because reading gives you knowledge, knowledge provides ideas, ideas when woven into words makes you a better speaker and then “If you can speak , you can influence . If you can influence, you can change lives”. And those who change lives are the great leaders. A proven system for development of oratorical, communication and leadership skills is the Toastmasters Club.
