How to speak like a leader, how to write a book and not be scared of public speaking - Simon Lancaster reveals all

Simon Lancaster is one of the world’s top speechwriters.

In the video podcast below, we had more fun than a kid in a bath of nutella, whilst we spoke about 3 main areas: all you need to know about writing a book, how to create a great speech and the language of leaders.

How to write a book

Many of us dream about writing that first book.

Simon Lancaster has written 3 books in his area of expertise - speechwriting and the language of leaders.

So I thought he would be a good person to ask to get tips on how to do the heavy lifting and get that first book written (and published).

When Simon told me about how long it takes to write a non-fiction book and how much preparation is involved, I was actually quite shocked.

But it can be done! Listen to how Simon has successfully authored book after book.

There are some very handy hints on how to actually get started, and what you need to do to get the green light from a publishing house.

How to speak like a leader

3.7 million TED talk fans can’t be wrong… Simon’s TED Talk, “How to speak like a leader” has been seen by nearly 4 million people on Youtube.

Throughout this lengthy podcast we constantly refer to the way that leaders use language to their advantage.

It’s fascinating stuff and super useful if you are at all concerned with how politics affects your life… or you have a manager at work, who is pupportedly a ‘leader’ :)

In the podcast (above) you can see Simon improvising a speech on a ridiculous topic, using his 6-step system on the essential characteristics of a captivating speech. It’s something that he does in the TED talk too (below).

But, as Simon said here, this was the most surreal topic that he has ever been asked to give a speech on… despite that, he still managed to create a convincing speech off the cuff. Top stuff, as always from Mr Lancaster!

How not to be afraid of public speaking

Even though Simon has been scripting speeches for politicians and CEOs for decades now, he himself was scared of public speaking at the start of his career.

So he has great empathy for anyone who feels trepidation at the thought of speaking in public and has a really cool Jedi mind trick that you can play on yourself so that you too can get over the fear and deliver a successful speech.

All of Simon’s tips about crafting a speech from about 1:07:34 in the video are worth their weight in gold, such as: how long should a speech be; how many points should you try to get across, how do you memorise what you are going to say.

But the part where he tells you how to not be scared of the actual speaking on stage (at 1:30:00) might just change your world if you put it into practise, give a killer speech and then get a promotion, give yourself an insane boost to your own confidence or just simply know that you did it!

How to get your child to take their medicine

Incidentally, Simon’s little girl has diabetes.

The way that Simon manipulated the entire vocabulary of her medication to make it more tolerable for her is something that every parent could benefit from.

It’s brilliance lies in its simplicity.

To help your child take their medicine more easily, listen to Simon’s story at about 23:15 in the podcast.