214 Resonate
You must be willing to be you, to be real, and to humbly
expose your own heart if you want the people in the
audience to open theirs. You must be transparent,
and this is difficult. Standing in front of an audience
is already a challenge in itself. When stage fright is
compounded with the new demand on leaders to be
transparent, it’s downright terrifying.
Being transparent moves your natural tendency of per-
sonal promotion out of the way so there’s more room
for your idea to be noticed. The audience can see past
you and see the idea.
There are three keys to being transparent:
• Be honest: Be honest with the audience and give
them the authentic you. You’re not perfect; they
understand that. If you are honest with yourself
and with them, your presentations will have more
moments of vulnerability and sincerity. It’s not
honest to present yourself as the almighty-powerful-
know-it-all-who-has-no-flaws. If you’re genuine,
your humanness will come through. This means shar-
ing stories that open your listeners’ hearts, sharing
how you’ve failed and how you’ve overcome, and
letting people in to see that you’re real. Openly
sharing moments of pain or pleasure endears you
to the audience through transparency.
Be Transparent So People See Your Idea
• Be unique: No two people have experienced the exact
same trials and triumphs in life. During your lifetime,
you’ve collected stories and feelings that no one else
has. It’s those differences that make you interesting.
Though we often tend to conceal our differences in an
effort to fit in and be accepted, our unique perspec-
tive is what brings new insights to a topic. Share your
ideas and be okay with the fact that sometimes you’re
the only one who sees what you see.
• Don’t compromise: If you really believe in what you’re
communicating, speak confidently about it and don’t
back down. It’s scary to be ridiculed or rejected, but
sometimes that’s the price. It won’t be easy to try
something no one has done before or speak loudly
about a topic that no one has the guts to confront. Be
encouraged by the child in the story of “The Emperor’s
New Clothes” who had the guts to say what was really
going on and, in doing so, shattered the pretenses of
the entire royal court. Call it like it is.
“Being true to yourself involves showing and sharing
emotion. The spirit that motivates most great storytell-
ers is ‘I want you to feel what I feel,’ and the effective
narrative is designed to make this happen. That’s how
the information is bound to the experience and
rendered unforgettable.”
Peter Guber
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