By Steve Adubato, PhD
Mario Cuomo is undoubtedly one of the most effective public speakers of our time. As former governor of New York and a much sought after motivational speaker, Cuomo has studied other great orators and has worked hard to master the art of connecting with and persuading people.
In 1984, along with millions of others, I watched Cuomo deliver a spellbinding speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. That speech is considered by many to be one of the greatest political convention speeches ever.
In a recent interview with Cuomo at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center I asked him what the essence of powerful and persuasive communication really is, be it in politics or business. Cuomo hesitated, shook his head and said, "I don't know, but I know some of the ingredients." Cuomo talked about other great communicators like Martin Luther King, who had a "profound belief, an idea that is worthwhile and a real commitment to that idea." Cuomo says that the idea or belief you are talking about doesn't have to be complicated, but you have to be sincere; "There are very few people who can give a really effective speech or presentation and not believe what they are saying. You have to be a gifted fraud, and I don't know many."
Cuomo says the greatest speech he ever heard was Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. " King was committed to the truth of freedom for his people, fairness for his people and for all people." Cuomo is dead on here. Nearly 30 years later, that speech by Martin Luther King resonates and touches us in so many ways.
It's been said in this space before, but speaking more from your heart rather than from your head is usually more effective. Intellect has its place but great communication goes deeper than that. It is much more personal and human, bordering on spiritual. Cuomo offers this perspective; "The speech I gave in '84, both Walter Cronkite and David Brinkly said it was the greatest reaction to a speech in a hall they have ever heard. And it was a tremendous reaction." Yet, Cuomo says the speech wasn't that special. He said he didn't use any special words or "magical poetry". Cuomo was convinced that what made the speech so effective were the ideas embodied in it; "we have a country here that is the most powerful country in the world and you have more and more people on that shining hill. But there are people in the gutter where the glitter doesn't shine and we are ignoring those people."
Mario Cuomo says it is not about poetry, but I disagree. Much of his masterful communication ability is because he is so poetic. Yet, there is a danger in holding up Mario Cuomo or Martin Luther King as paragons of excellent communication. Most of us don't see ourselves in that light. We are convinced that they are gifted, somehow anointed by a greater force or spirit with this "natural ability." But if we do that we miss the main point. You don't have to be Cuomo or King to be an effective public speaker. The challenge is to push ourselves outside our comfort zone and have faith in what we believe.
Consider Mario Cuomo's advice on this issue in talking about the overwhelming reaction he received back in '84; "Yes, it was passionate, but it was a profound idea and people knew I believed it. And so what happened is that I was opening the book of their life. They were reading their own thoughts. It wasn't me. They didn't know who Mario 'Cucomo' was. They still don't. So I know the necessary ingredient. You have to be talking about something profoundly significant and you have to mean it."
Like I said, it is ultimately about speaking from the heart.