What can leaders learn from Rutte's speech?

What can leaders learn from Rutte's televised speech

Go figure. At a time of crisis and drastic measures, Rutte addressed the Dutch people yesterday through various media. The aim was to give the population a heartfelt message and defend the government's policy.

Friend and foe agree that he succeeded in this. Moreover, Rutte portrayed himself as a committed and capable leader, who is above the parties.

How did he do that? And what can other managers and executives learn from his crisis speech?

1. Be sincere. "Because I don't have an easy message for you tonight Not only from his text, but also from the sober presentation, you can tell as a listener that Rutte means business. That he is doing everything he can to fight this Corona crisis, and get people in the country through this period.
   
2. Be convincing. 'The reality is that a large part of the Dutch population will also be infected in the coming period. That's what the experts are telling us now.' On many fronts, it appears that Rutte has studied the subject. He leans on the expertise of experts and discusses 3 scenarios to defend the cabinet's choices. An analytical plea that convinces.
   
3. Be engaged. 'And I want to address the elderly and those in poor health. I realize you have great concerns.' Rutte shows that he has an eye for people's individual suffering by, among other things, expressing his sympathy for the families of the deceased, the elderly, the frail and entrepreneurs.
   
4. Be specific. 'A lot of entrepreneurs have their backs against the wall. The lady from the coffee shop on the corner, the flower grower, the transport entrepreneur, the self-employed, but it also applies to national icons such as KLM.' Leadership is also shown by showing that you are up to speed on what is happening and have an eye for (human) details.
   
5. Be credible. 'It will be a difficult time no matter what, but we will not let you down.' Rutte is one of the few politicians who can say this with dry eyes because he has held the economy in high regard from the beginning. He is returning to familiar territory where he has already achieved results.
   
   Rutte's speech is already being called historic. That remains to be seen with all the uncertainties ahead. But at least through this crisis he is making a step from manager to statesman.
   
   Many leaders in the Netherlands will have a difficult message to deliver in the coming period, to employees, stakeholders and also their immediate environment. Hopefully this speech will help them build confidence and strengthen their leadership through their communication. We desperately need that.
   
   Huib Hudig is a presentation coach at Speak to Inspire and author of Het Speechboekje. In the past he has written speeches for several politicians, such as Piet Hein Donner and Mark Rutte.
   
   Huib was also interviewed on the radio program De Nieuws BV, where he was one of the commentators on the analysis of Mark Rutte's speech.