Ask anyone to name the greatest orators of all time, and Winston Churchill will be on every list, if not at the top. We think of Britain’s Prime Minister leading his fellow Englishmen through the darkest days of World War II, rallying them with calls to “fight on the beaches” and to offer their “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” to defeat the enemy. We think of him standing before the House of Commons, praising the Royal Air Force’s “finest hour” and declaring, in that gravelly British voice, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
Churchill’s talent for public speaking seems extraordinary. And yet, his place in the pantheon of presenters was far from fated. As a boy, young Winston stuttered and stammered. In fact, he spoke with a lisp.
Even as he entered politics, Churchill continued to struggle. According to one prophet, “Mr. Churchill and oratory are not neighbors yet. Nor do I think it likely they ever will be.”
Never in the field of human evaluation was such a declaration proved to be so dumb.
While we may not be asked to address parliament, we’ll all face speaking opportunities throughout our lives. Whether it’s summarizing a report to colleagues, standing up at a city-council meeting, or delivering a eulogy, the ability to present makes you more persuasive and more powerful. As the great man himself put it, “Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king. He is an independent force in the world.”
Equally famous, yet largely unknown for any public-speaking prowess, is Warren Buffet, widely considered to be the best investor in history. Up until the age of 20, Buffet lived in fear of public speaking. “Just the thought of it made me physically ill,” he says. “I would literally throw up.”
Indeed, as a college student, the future chairman of Berkshire Hathaway selected courses based largely on one criterion: He avoided those that required him to talk. He orchestrated his life so that he’d never have to address a crowd.
After college, Buffet enrolled in business school. It was here that he saw an ad in the newspaper for a public-speaking course. So he made his way to Midtown Manhattan, wrote a check, and signed-up.
On the way home, however, fear crippled his enthusiasm, and he stopped payment. “I just couldn’t do it,” he recalled. “I was that terrified.”
A few years later, Buffet saw the ad again. This time, he not only signed-up; he also plunked down 100 bucks in cash, so as to thwart a repeat second-guessing.
Buffet says the skills he learned changed his life: “It’s incalculable how much value I got from that hundred dollars.” Indeed, 70 years later, hanging in his office is not a traditional diploma, but a certificate for public speaking. (It’s next to the Presidential Medal of Freedom.)
So why does public speaking matter? Because this skill is not optional — not if you want to thrive in business. Whether you’re speaking with a client at a conference table or roaming the room while keynoting a confab, you’ll find that addressing an audience is one of the most profitable talents you can hone.
