Heroic Voice - Blog , Case Studies

The Engagement Loop - "I Have a Dream"

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0700

"I Have a Dream"

How do leaders use their voices as instruments of change? They communicate in a way that connects with the hearts and minds in their audience.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses 3 different voices of leadership in his speech: Teacher, Visionary, and Changemaker. He uses these voices to issue a Call to Think, a Call to Feel and a Call to Act.

Introducing the Engagement Loop

Audience bring more than just their minds into a presentation to learn. They hearts and bodies are also available to take part in the learning experience. Leaders who engage with all three prepare their audiences for success.

The first synchronization happens with a call to think. Using the voice of an advisor or teacher, presenters spark curiosity with well curated content. As the conversation progresses, brain waves become synchronized.

The second synchronization happens with a call to feel. With the voice of a storyteller or visionary, presenters introduce potential futures that inspire and energize the hearts in the audience.

These third synchronization happens with a call to act. After successfully connecting with hearts and minds, the presenter can use the voice of a leader or changemaker to invite their audience to take action.

A Call to Think

Dr. King uses the voice of a teacher to highlight the opportunities and risks of space exploration. This voice synchronizes the brain waves in the audience.

"In a sense we've come to our nation's Capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

A Call to Feel

Dr. King uses the voice of a visionary to help the audience envision the emotional experiences of the journey ahead. This voice synchronizes the heartbeat patterns in the audience.

"But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

A Call to Act

Dr. King uses the voice of a changemaker to invite the audience to support the nation's effort to win the race to land on the moon. This voice synchronizes urgency of now with the audiences desire to participate.

"We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

Summary - The Engagement Loop

The Engagement Loop is a communication framework that creates three experiences of synchronization: a call to think, a call to feel and a call to act.

Dr. King opened with voice of a teacher, and issued a "Call to Think" about new content or new perspectives. He continues with voice of a visionary, prompting the audience with a "Call to Feel". He finishes with the voice of a changemaker and confidently issue a "Call to Act".

Use the Engagement Loop to prepare your audience for success. When you've synchronized the minds, hearts and bodies in your audience, they will leave your presentation knowing exactly what to do, where to go, and how to win.

Synchronize Your Voices of Leadership

To synchronized your voices of leadership, consider joining our Synchronized Communications MasterClass. Over the course of 12 sessions, your team will develop a Habit of Practice and an Ecosystem for Practice. The goal for each leader is to be Fully Prepared for their most important presentations and conversations.

Schedule an appointment with one of our executive communications coaches, and learn how the MasterClass will prepare you to generate money, activate support and accumulate recommendations from all of your leadership presentations.

The Engagement Loop - "We Go To The Moon"

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 08:00:00 -0700

"We Go to the Moon"

How do leaders use their voices as instruments of change? They communicate in a way that connects with the hearts and minds in their audience.

President Kennedy uses 3 different voices of leadership in his speech: Advisor, Storyteller, and Leader. He uses these voices to issue a Call to Think, a Call to Feel and a Call to Act.

Introducing the Engagement Loop

The second synchronization happens with a call to feel. With the voice of a storyteller or visionary, presenters introduce potential futures that inspire and energize the hearts in the audience.

A Call to Think

President Kennedy uses the voice of a advisor to highlight the opportunities and risks of space exploration. This voice synchronizes the brain waves in the audience:

"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own.

Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. "

A Call to Feel

President Kennedy uses the voice of a storyteller to help the audience envision the emotional experiences of the journey ahead. This voice synchronizes the heartbeat patterns in the audience:

"I do not say that we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours. There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. "

A Call to Act

President Kennedy uses the voice of a leader to invite the audience to support the nation's effort to win the race to land on the moon. This voice synchronizes urgency of now with the audiences desire to participate.

"But why, some say, the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon... We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too."

Summary - The Engagement Loop

The Engagement Loop is a communication framework that creates three experiences of synchronization: a call to think, a call to feel and a call to act.

President Kennedy opened voice of a teacher, and issued a "Call to Think" about new content or new perspectives. He continues with voice of a storyteller, prompting the audience with a "Call to Feel". He finishes with the voice of a leader and confidently issue a "Call to Act".

Synchronize Your Voices of Leadership

The Power of Vision

Fri, 01 Feb 2019 10:57:21 -0800

AP File Photo

How Dr. King helped America visualize the future

As a leader and visionary, your audience counts on you to have a clear vision of the future. One that is clearer than the vision they have for themselves. Your audience may have several abstract images in their mind. Your job as a leader is to turn those abstract images into concrete pictures.

How can you convert the abstract images of your audiences into concrete pictures that inspire them into action? Let's examine the pictures that Dr. Martin Luther King used to help America visualize the future.

“And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.

But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people,

will get to the promised land!”

In his speech “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop”, Dr. King claims to have seen the Promised Land, a vision of what America could become. What images did he visualize, and how did he use these images to help America visualize the future?

5 years earlier, Dr. King described several images in his iconic speech “I Have a Dream”. He began by sharing abstract images that described the values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He continued with concrete examples, rich with details that sparked the emotions and imagination of his audience.

AP file photo. The King family in 1966 in a last official portrait.

Image #1: My Four Little Children

“My four little children will one day live in a nation

where they will not be judged by the color of their skin

but by the content of their character."

Like all parents, Dr. King wanted to create a better future for his children. He raised his children in a time when Americans were judged by the color of their skin. His children would see and experience discrimination, segregation and violence.

Dr. King turned his abstract image of “better future” into a concrete snapshot. He imagined a future point in time when his children would walk into a formal gathering and experience something very different.

He saw his sons wearing well fitted suits and his daughters wearing beautiful dresses. As they enter the room, the people inside would recognize the character of each child. Defined by the positive impact that they have created in the world.

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton. June 2, 2010

Image #2: The Table of Brotherhood

“Sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners

will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

At a time when segregation was taking place in schools, neighborhoods, and the workplace, Dr. King wanted to bring Americans together in the places where we learn, where we live and where we work. When these places are filled with diversity and inclusion, we create a world that works for everyone.

Fast forward to a 2010 event at the White House, featuring Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

Stevie Wonder represented the “sons of former slaves”. His mother was born in Eufaula, AL, a town that authorized $150,000 in funding to purchase slaves for railroad construction in 1859.

Paul McCartney represented the “sons of former slave owners”. He was born in Liverpool, England, a city where British slavers shipped 1.5 million Africans across the Atlantic in the 18th century.

Dr. King envision black men and white men sitting together at a table. While Dr. King's vision of brotherhood did eventually come true, it laid the ground work for more possible collaborations for the future. He may have also envisioned a day when two world class musicians would collaborate and perform their song “Ebony and Ivory”, to integrated audiences everywhere.

Photo: Department of Education. May 6, 2014

Image #3: Children Hand in Hand

“Little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands

with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”

At the time of this speech, the Supreme Court had outlawed segregated public education facilities (1954). The Civil Rights Act (1964) outlawed any state and local laws requiring segregation. The enforcement of these laws was extremely difficult and filled with racial tension.

When children from different cultures grow up as sisters and brothers, they are able to learn together, and be prepared for a day when they would teach together and lead together. Dr. King’s vision manifested into student diversity in the classrooms, teacher diversity in public schools, and leadership diversity in the U.S. Department of Education.

Visualize a picture of the ideal future

Use pictures to communicate your vision

In our workshop "Be A Heroic Voice", we show you how to communicate your vision, your values and your vows in every high stakes conversation. Here is a three step process for communicating your vision:

IDENTIFY

Describe the world problem that you are dedicated to solving

CAPTURE

Become a photo journalist and travel to a location where the problem exists.
Take a "before snapshot" and describe why this is a problem.
Identify the core values that are missing from the photo.

VISUALIZE

Travel to a time in the future, after you've solved the problem.
Take an "after" photo, and highlight specific details.
Describe the feelings that you and your community experience in the photo.

Our Heroic Invitation

In our 2-part workshop Be a Heroic Voice program, you will learn how to create your own set of concrete pictures that will move your audiences into action. With these pictures, you will be able to engage the hearts and minds of your audiences and confidently ask for their support.

We count on our leaders to have a clear vision for the future.

Use your Heroic Voice to communicate trust, create connection and build relationships.

Together, we can build a world that works for everyone!