The leverage of speaking

When seeking profitability, it's common to seek leverage.

Leverage is of course a term used most often metaphorically. Its origin is in physics, where a lever literally "amplifies an input force to provide a greater output force". In all other contexts, we're seeking figurative levers to pull which will magnify the impact of our actions.

In finance, leverage is found where we profit from borrowed money.

In manufacturing, leverage is found where repetition multiplies the profit from a single action.

In computing, leverage is found where replication allows an effectively infinite number of sales of a single product.

These are all examples of leverage specific to particular industries. More generally however, I think one kind of leverage can be found in almost any field of human endeavour: by having the courage to speak in public. A single powerful presentation can influence the sentiments, opinions, and future actions of tens, hundreds, or thousands of people.

This leverage is available to basically anyone with the desire to take it.

Honestly, it surprises me how few people embrace the opportunity.

A well-executed presentation is almost certainly the highest leverage moment of a knowledge worker's year. There's not another 30 minute stretch of time that can influence one's fortunes as profoundly as a well designed and well executed speech.

If you're an accountant, a lawyer, a researcher, a consultant; a single speech can fill your pipeline for a year. A year! If some marketing guru came and offered to do 12 months worth of marketing in 30 minutes, only a fool would say no.

You're invited. Take the stage, to set the stage... for massive future success.

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash