jordanabina
As a communicator, I’ve have always had a sense that some people just have the gift of speaking and some don’t. What I mean is, I’ve asked the question many times, can someone learn to become a great communicator?What really makes people listen? What is it about a person’s way of communicating that keeps their audience on the edge of their sea? Is it the content, the connection, or the charisma?
In Simon Lancaster’s Winning Minds, the answer to those questions become clearer and quite frankly make a lot of sense. The best way I could say it is, those times where we feel the magic of a great communicator, it’s not magic at all, it’s precise and strategic thinking at work. Lancaster says, “Great leadership is intrinsically about great communication.” And based upon the way leaders communicate, that will attract a certain type of person and that person may feel a certain way about what’s being said.
The book spends most of it’s time breaking down the 3 layers of our brain that are in action while we process something a communicator is saying. These three areas are all important but the order in which we capture them is vital. Lancaster takes it back to the basics and even got me thinking about how I listen, and why I listen. Our brains are incredible, and the way they process information is key to understanding how to be successful in the area of communication.
Winning Mindsbreaks down many famous speeches and recorded talks from leaders from around the globe and from all parts of history. What makes someone attractive to listen to? The answer to that question has nothing to do with location or even time period in which we live, it has everything to do with the ability to speak to the human brain in the correct way. I was fascinated by the similarities between leaders and people around the world all being connected by these principles.
The book is filled with tips and tricks for capturing an audience, preparing your speech, and being able to capture the minds and hearts of people. If you are a communicator of any type I would highly recommend this book. I literally took notes on some of these principles on Monday, worked them into a talk I gave the following Sunday and watched the results. If we want their hearts, we need their brains first.
The only thing about this book that is negative is that there is no way for me to remember all of these amazing principles just one time through, it definitely deserves another read. I’m not sad about that. Not only that, but It has ignited an interest in rhetoric all together, and has opened my eyes to see how important the study of communication is to be a great communicator and leader.
People are born with talent, and that can take you a long way, but the person who can win the minds of people, their words will never be forgotten.
Loved this book. Thanks Mr. Lancaster.
