What we can learn from the most famous improvisation of all time

On Aug. 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke definitively into the history books. But his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech would never have been delivered.

Tell 'm about the dream, Martin!

After a march through Washington, more than 250,000 people gather on the National Mall, millions watch from their living rooms. As the last of ten speakers, it fell to Dr. King to close The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom with a bang. For weeks he had been honing his story. As he meticulously prepared every speech. From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial he begins, "I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation."

But the speech only moderately picks up. The fire seems to be missing. There is clapping, sporadic cheering, but the flame will not ignite. And King knows that even the last part of his speech is not going to make the difference. Redemption comes after about 11 minutes, when singer Mahalia Jackson calls out to him, "Tell 'm about the Dream, Martin!" From then on, King begins to improvise. From memory, he recites his Dream story, a piece he had previously incorporated into sermons. And "the rest is history."
(Sources include: Cautionary Tales, afl. Martin Luther King Jr, the Jewelry Genius, and the Art of Public Speaking)

Intellect and instinct

What made King dare to take so much risk at one of the most important moments in his life? And that it turned out so phenomenally? Interplay between intellect and instinct, argues one of today's most influential and much acclaimed American preachers Bishop T.D. Jakes. In other words, meticulous preparation and then sensing in the moment when to deviate from it (Source: The Tony Robbins Podcast episode The Mic is Mightier than the Sword).

Sounds nice, but face it: deciding to freestyle in front of the world. There are few who would have brilliant alternative lyrics ready and even fewer who would dare to take the risk. But King's real greatness lies in the fact that at such a nerve-wracking moment, he still senses his audience. That his instinct still "works."

Break between speaker and audience

Addressing a crowd is stressful, let alone 250,000 people. At such times, we quickly resort to survival strategies. We make ourselves small or blow ourselves up, leave nothing to chance and read the text (from memory) word for word, we start pleasing in the hope of gaining favor with the audience or turn completely inside ourselves.

In extremo, each of these survival strategies creates a break between speaker and audience. And when the bond is broken, it is difficult to feel what the audience needs in that moment.

Speak's five Patterns

Over the years with Speak to Inspire, we have seen that many of these types of survival strategies can be traced back to (a mix of) five Patterns.

1. The Giver/Taker: a good entertainer, who senses his audience, but usually scores a bit lower on authenticity and sometimes leadership.
2. The Perfectionist: prepares everything to perfection, which can be at the expense of connection and sometimes authenticity.
3. The Warrior: has little problem firing up the troops from the stage, but is very self-focused and thus scores lower on connection and sometimes authenticity.
4. The Visionary: no shortage of ideas and vistas, but not always in connection with the audience, some may also score lower on leadership.
5. The Carrier: puts the other central, making the audience feel seen, at the same time the focus on the audience can be at the expense of leadership and sometimes authenticity.
   
   For examples, take the quiz in the ^3rd item of the newsletter or click here.

So how in the spotlight can you still inspire the audience with your own speech, presentation or dream? By doing exactly what your survival strategy wants to keep you from doing. Depending on the strategy, that means more "Showing Leadership" (taking up space, standing up for your cause), "Showing Yourself" (showing yourself vulnerable and not playing a role) and/or "Connecting" (feeling what you are saying and connecting with the audience).

Want to know more? Then contact Janneke (janneke@speaktoinspire.nl), she would love to tell you more!