Before Martin Luther King Jr. galvanized a nation with one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century, he had honed his delivery and storytelling skills through years of experience behind the pulpit as a Baptist minister. He became a pastor at the age of 25 and delivered his famous â??Dream Speechâ? nearly a decade later, giving him plenty of opportunities to sharpen his craft.
Many of the most gifted public speakers in our society are faith leaders. One gratifying benefit of writing books and columns on communication skills is the opportunity to reach an audience that extends beyond the â??target marketâ? of sales and business leaders. I constantly hear from spiritual leaders across religious denominationsâ??priests, pastors, ministers, and rabbisâ??who work on their speaking skills to deliver more inspiring sermons. Their messages are different, their traditions are different, but their goals are the sameâ??to inspire their audiences and to give them a reason to return to church or synagogue the next week.
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