By Adriana Bracks, PhD
Adriana Bracks, PhD, interviews Ron Lee, ‘The Corporate Ninja about personal empowerment, life skills and financial success.
Adriana Bracks (AB): Ron, what are the three skills you need to thrive in this new economy?
Ron Lee (RL): The first is Personal Empowerment; the sources are in Eastern-Western Philosophies, Universal Laws, Practical Metaphysics and Martial Arts.
The second skill is Selling in Today's Environment, which is entirely different to the ways that we were taught a few years ago.
The third is the ability to present on your feet in front of one person up to an audience of thousands. I can teach most people to present more effectively than most professional speakers.
AB: Why is this last skill so important?
RL: Every part of business involves communication and selling, from the CEO at the AGM to a sales assistant on the shop floor, to speaking about your business at a networking event. Skills in public speaking will improve your effectiveness in other communication areas and in all aspects of your life.
AB: Why did you decide to become a public speaker?
RL: Our greatest perceived voids create our greatest values. I am basically very shy, so public speaking filled that void and communication and extroversion became a value.
The process was catalysed in 1986 when I was watching a television program called Star Search with my partner. I said, “Those comedians are hopeless; even I could do better than that.” With a challenging look, she said, “Then why don't you?”
After writing down a few concepts that had been sitting in my brain for a while, I auditioned and ended up on the show eleven days later.
Despite competing against a four-time winner, I won and appeared on the next four shows. The manager of The Sydney Comedy Store was one of the judges on that first episode and asked if I would perform on upcoming Friday and Saturday nights.
AB: What are the essential qualities of a great speaker?
RL: The most important qualities are:
• Passion – a speaker must be passionate about the subject to affect an audience.
* Purpose – some people might call this "altruism", but a speaker needs to have a sense of "greater good".
• Knowledge and certainty – knowledge + certainty = credibility.
* Storytelling – if a speaker can paint the word pictures, the audience join you on the journey.
* Presence – a speaker must connect with the audience, which requires concentration, focus and the ability to be in, and hold, "the moment".
* Value – the speaker must be able to inspire, provide knowledge, information and insight.
AB: You have a unique approach. How did you develop your own speaking style?
RL: My speaking style evolved as I became more comfortable with myself and seeing the benefits that clients experience. The most effective way of developing an original speaking style is to reach deeply into your own essence. Work out who and what you are and learn how to express your unique sense of humour. Conversely, I've seen many presenters, consciously or unconsciously, trying to emulate speakers they admire. I heard an Australian aspiring speaker talking with a southern American drawl after a Zig Ziglar seminar, and there are more Tony Robbins imitations than can be considered healthy.
AB: How important is humour to your messages and how can people become funnier?
RL: In the speaking industry, when someone asks, “should I include humour in my presentations?” the answer is usually, “only if you want to be paid.” My reply is, “only if you want to be asked back.”
Humour is integral to my presentations. Steady Eddie, who turned Cerebral Palsy into a comedic art form describes what it's like to have his condition. “I won a breakdancing competition at the local pub, and I was only walking to the bar.” The message is to create humour around the way in which you might be perceived. It's possible to be a good story-teller and hold an audience without being funny, but audiences will remember a speaker more if they're laughing.
AB: Is it more important to educate or entertain?
RL: It's a balance of both. If you don't entertain, keep them interested, they won'9:17 PM 9/12/2009t benefit. Alternatively, you could be a boring speaker with high content, but the message might not penetrate unless you're counting on some sort o subliminal influence while the audience is falling asleep.
AB: How are you qualified to claim that your students will ‘present more effectively than most professional speakers’?
RL: I've been a full-time professional speaker for twenty years and have the ‘CSP’ designation. There are 11 professional speaking associations globally, and the CSP is acknowledged as the highest qualification. I was on the assessment panel to decide who gets the CSP in Australia. Also, I trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, have performed stand-up comedy, and numerous students have performed at professional comedy venues.
Ron Lee’s presentations focus on strategic Implementation of the philosophies and practices mentioned above. His workshops focus on empowerment, life balance, sales, teams, presentation, speaking and comedy to a performing arts standard.
CSP is the highest internationally-recognised speaker designation, with less than 7% of registered speakers attaining this level.
Ron is the author of What Shintaro Taught Me - Zen & The Art of Success.
"This great book shows you how to combine the dual powers of the insights and ideas of East and West to achieve at higher levels than you ever dreamed possible." - Brian Tracy, author of Goals!
“If you are ready to courageously breakthrough all barriers, live a purposefully inspired life and tap into the Zen powers of inner poise, presence, silence and clarity then What Shintaro Taught Me is waiting for your mind and body to become awakened and spontaneously active.” - Dr. John F. Demartini, bestselling author of The Breakthrough Experience – A Revolutionary New Approach to Personal Transformation
Web site: www.corporate-ninja.com
