Power Speaking: The Art of the Exceptional Public Speaker by Achim Nowak(2004) Allworth Press, $19.95

ReaderStrength Rating:
Focus 4
Build 4
Adapt 4
Overall Rating as a leadership resource 4
(Please see "How Do We Evaluate Resources?" in right column)

In September I met Achim Nowak, author of Power Speaking: The Art of The Exceptional Public Speaker.
As a member of an audience of business professionals at the German American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia, I was struck by his ability to connect with the audience. During the question-and-answer session, he approached the questions with a sense of humility and openness that was refreshing. After the presentation I spoke to Achim personally about coaching and speaking. He made me feel like a colleague even though his development as a speaker has surpassed mine at this point.

In Parts I and II, the content of the book is much like any other book on the topic: the mechanics of speaking and how to connect with the audience. Achim's way of telling us what to do is both funny and realistic. He provides detailed exercises for each of the skills presented.

Here is an example from the skill he teaches on body movement. Did you know there are at least eight unintended things speakers do with their feet? In the author's own words they are as follows:

The shuffle: The speaker's feet keep moving forward and back, in steady repetition, as if the floor beneath were a bed of burning coal.

The sway: The speaker keeps rocking from side to side, as if standing aboard a ship in the midst of a gathering storm out at sea.

The cha-cha: The speaker's feet move in a repetitious, box-like fashion around the floor, as if he wished to dance with a missing partner.

The lean: The speaker stands on one foot while the other is bent at the knee, with the toes rubbing against the heel of the solid foot as if to soothe a persistent itch.

The lift-off: The speaker rises up on the toes, at least once in every sentence, as if preparing for the high jump.

The cross: The speaker's legs cross at the ankles, as if a dash to the toilet is imminent and unavoidable.

The bop: The speaker's legs wiggle and hop in place, as if an army of ants were marching down his legs in a slow and steady crawl.

The step-away: The speaker is consistently performing little steps away from the audience, as if the audience were a beast that had just escaped from its cage at the zoo.

Usually these movements are unconscious and making ourselves aware of them is the first step. I know I tend to use "the cross" when I am not paying attention. Last night I observed a speaker using "the cha-cha." Achim, however, stood grounded in his location and only moved when he was making a point. His power as a speaker was strong because of this detail that many of us tend to overlook.

Part III, "The Art of the Flow,’’ includes four chapters that cover concepts such as our values, fear, spontaneity, and moving beyond the limits of our personality with its defense mechanisms to bring out the best in ourselves as a professional and a speaker.
Recommendation
This book is a treasure box loaded with gems for you to pick out as you grow in your public speaking capacity. We have given the book our highest ratings because it inspires us as leaders to use our personal power when speaking, it teaches skills and tips on how to do that, and it acknowledges the ability to adapt beyond the limitations of our personalities. Power speaking is an art form that can unleash the best in us if we allow it. Achim's concluding words say it best:

"At its heart, the path to speaking power is always the path of tearing down the walls. As we remove our internal and external barriers, we suddenly allow the inner radiance that we all have inside to shamelessly leap forth.

It is my wish that, along the way, every one of us will be graced with many moments of inspiration. The tools offered in this book are the vessels that make such inspiration possible." 

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