The Makings of a Star Leader: Are You a Good Audience?

For a speaker who lacks confidence looking out into a sea of empty stares, or skeptical faces can be devastating. But, the onus of a successful presentation doesn’t just lie with the presenter – it also lies with the audience. 

Executives are usually amazingly talented and are always brimming with new ideas to take their company forward. Their biggest question though is, “How do I say what I want to in a way that people really listen?” While this question almost inevitably leads to talking about tips and tricks to make a great speaker; what we forget most of the time is that the onus of a successful presentation also lies with the audience. Take a minute to consider whether you are a brilliant audience.

The writer of this Forbes Article1 recounts how he once had a boss that told him that he had a unique style in expressing himself in meetings. This boss didn’t tell him to change his method of expression, but rather learnt how to adapt to it and actually use it positively and create productive value with teams. This allowed the speaker to also lean into his style, be confident about it and refine it for better results. This goes to show effective presentations are about the speaker as well as the audience.

“How to be a good audience?” An ideal audience is completely immersed and absorbed in the content of what is being said. This means being lost in the moment. Let’s find out how you can improve upon your role as an audience member.