Seth Godin, author of Tribes, writes a blog on leadership at sethsblog.com. He quotes his book, “Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.” He continues with: “It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers. It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail. It’s…
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“Jump right into the middle” and “open the shoot and let the bucking bronco out of the pin” are my mottos for opening talks, speeches and communications to groups. I don’t like to hear speakers mumble phrases like “I am so honored to be here” or “Thanks for inviting me.” No one is listening…
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My Zimmer Method approach to helping people to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking has been evolving since 1984. It began by asking people to stand quietly in front of my acting classes to see if they could just be there at the center of attention. Most people had great difficulty simply…
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Over several years, I developed a pattern for the process that guides people safely and slowly into healing stage fright so they feel free to share their thoughts and feelings in all kinds of situations. Even more remarkably, this process awakens in people a powerful and authentic presence that radiates from them. However, this…
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Once in a while, an idea comes along which changes all the other ideas that I am teaching. I met that idea this week at The UP Experience in Houston. Among the cadre of sixteen awesome speakers, who were all thought leaders in their fields, was Dr. Brené Brown. Dr. Brené Brown is a writer, researcher,…
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Have you noticed how there will be some people in your audience who shine like headlights at you? For some reason they are already with you and are beaming attention at you! Learn to look for the lights in your audience members to absorb love and support for your talk. Link up with their energy…
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Presence is a palpable sense of being all here – physically, mentally, and emotionally. It gives you a masterful command of yourself and it commands the attention of others. Presence is spiritual in nature. It is the embodiment of spirit. Through simple mental and physical practices, you can develop this power. Actors develop presence as…
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Sean Buvala at storyteller.net has written an awesome post on using stories for apologies and healing. He says that “Storytelling can be used for many different applications. One of the most difficult, but needed, application of storytelling is to express reconciliation, repentance and recompense.” Sean lists five steps that help create a story of redemption:…
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The trick to awesome speaking is not looking good on the outside, but feeling good on the inside. You must build an inner foundation of comfort in your skin, presence, internal fullness and receptivity to the flow of other’s attention. What trips people up about speaking is often the internal tension that distracts…
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Everyday about 5 pm, I drive past a street fighter at the corner of Westheimer and Shadowbriar. Really! A street fighter! For at least a year, I have seen this man, maybe 30 years old, dressed in fight gear, hat, gloves, armbands, shorts. He dances on the corner, fighting with an invisible opponent. Once…
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