Tomorrow night we get to watch the annual Academy Awards and the honorees who portray characters in selected films.  In some ways, actors are like public speakers.  They assume their roles as if they truly believe and live what and who they are portraying.    They convince us that this is who they are . . . even for a short time.  We may come away motivated, inspired, moved and even wanting to make a change in our lives.

Some public speakers are a natural and make it look easy, while others work hard at developing their skills. Here are some of the attributes of a great speaker.

• They have a combination of mind and heart, conviction and compassion.
• They feed off the energy and the hopes of their audiences.
• They are innovators and students of their expertise.
• They set forth a vision of where their audience needs to go and a strategy of how to get there.
• They use their persuasive power and demonstrate persistence.

The Coach sez . . . be good, you are.