Thanks for the kind words, sb.
September 9, 1999
Q: When you think about yourself as a speaker--which you do well and people credit you as doing well--when did that skill first become apparent to you?
A: I have done public speaking, and sort of done well at it, since I was in high school. In fact I was involved a lot in oratorical contests, and speech contests, and debate, and things like that, and did very well. So I guess, in that sense, some kind of speaking ability has been clear since I was young.
Q: Is it something that your parents said, "Boy, this kid can talk; let's urge him into these activities"? Or did you have a teacher that recognized it? How did it blossom for you?
A: No. First of all, I think it is a mistake to believe that there is some special skill in public speaking. And there is a lot of talk about it these days, as if it is a skill that is separate from ability, and it is not. And in fact, I have to confess that I find it kind of insulting that folks will listen to what I have to say, and say, "Oh, that was a good speech," instead of understanding that there is no good speech apart from the thought that goes into it and is expressed by it. There is no trick involved that can turn something that has no substance into a good speech. That is nonsense. And the notion that somehow or another I give "good speeches," and then one does not show respect for the intelligence of the substance, is, I think, something that is more than subtly racist.
This is not a trick. It is not like performing in some song and dance routine. Speech is the business through which citizens communicate to each other, and those who are able to do it well are better qualified to lead than others.
Q: But, in fact, the flip side of it is that some people can have wonderful ideas but not have the gift of communication.
A: Maybe, maybe not. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe that is a misnomer. Maybe what you are saying there is not true. Maybe, in point of fact, the inability to communicate is a reflection of some flaw in the ideas. A lot of people don't want to acknowledge that, but what if it is true? And that would then put us in a situation, wouldn't it, where we are making a distinction that is, in fact, false.
Now, you may ask, why am I posting this snippet of Dr. Keyes' interview with C-SPAN in 1999?
To make a point about you.
The ability to communicate well cannot be separated from the person or their God-given communication skills, and most especially from the content of their communications.
You, my friend, are a leader.