Make or break. Win or lose. Change perceptions. Transform opinions. These are some objectives of the importance of Leadership communication. The American Presidential debates are prime example of this see saw of popularity that is assessed after every round of candidate responses to policy issues.
The art of communication is at test. The art of conversation is on trial. These speeches are no just spoken extempore communications. These are well crafted and well-rehearsed communications that are designed to get pre-set objectives. Leadership is all about communicating clearly and compellingly.
However, do debates really change perceptions? Do the voters really follow these debates? Is it worth the time and money being spent on them?
US Presidential debates go as far back as 1952. But the first debate that really became historical was in 1960 when the famous Nixon-Kennedy debate made its mark.
The interesting part was that this debate was viewed differently by those who saw it on TV and those who heard it on radio. This highlighted the importance of tones and body language in debates. Communication in general has gained a focus bigger than ever.
The advent of social media has made everybody a presenter. The Tik Tok community is in every house. The ability to turn the most menial of actions into a video has increased the ability to communicate, meme, pose, sing and speak exponentially. It has made the reach of every word and gesture made by public speakers magnify, amplify and become much bigger than it is.
So are debates the decisive turning points of elections? Research suggests ‘no’. Harvard Business School Professor Pons did a study. “There’s this perception that debates are this great democratic tool where voters can find out what candidates stand for and how good they really are,” Pons was quoted in a 2019 article by the Harvard Business School as saying.
According to Prof Pons, “But we find that debates don’t have any effect on any group of voters.” In terms of a direct and immediate translation into numbers maybe not but cumulatively and indirectly these debates do put seeds of doubt or interest in the voters mind by:
1- The choice of words— Words affect psychology. Words have to be chosen with care. The type of audience and the occasion need to be kept in mind. The language, the message, the examples, the humour need to be adapted to the recipients. So many times, one wrong word, one careless remark, one silly joke can cut off the speaker from the audience.
The margin of error was always little, and, with the social media scrutiny has become fatal. George W. Bush’s famous faux pas in his speech after the war on Iraq is a case in point. In a speech about the “War on Terror,” the then American President George W. Bush referred to the “Crusades” to describe his war against terrorism, making people recall the wars waged by the Christian West against the Arabs in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. This reference very clearly alienated the Muslim world as the Crusade was a war on Muslims.
While President Bush kept on saying war on terror, the Muslim world lost their confidence on him. President Obama was on the other hand a master for choice of his words. His speeches were the most important part of him storming into politics and becoming the first black man in the White House. When Barack Obama launched into his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, he was still an obscure state senator from Illinois.
By the time he finished 17 minutes later, he had captured the nation’s attention and opened the way for a run at the presidency. His famous words “It is not the black America, it is not the white America, it is the United States of America” just swept him from nowhere into the top ranks.
2- It is the unspoken that speaks— Debates are not just about what you say but about the body’s support or punch behind the words. In fact even when you are quiet, your body is speaking through your expressions, gestures and movements. The tilt of your head, the look in your eyes, the raise of your eyebrows, the movement of your hands, the placement of your feet are all conveying a message of their own.
Bill Clinton had a disarming charm. He would talk in easy tones, smile ingenuously, move his body easily and develop instant chemistry with the audience. The 2024 electoral debates between Trump and Biden had one thing in common, i.e., men who are apparently aging. Biden more so due to his constant imbalance in gait and voice and Trump due to his heavy and brash demeanor.
Biden in fact had to be replaced as a candidate for Democrats as the perception of him being unfit became a reality. Obama on the other hand was meticulous about what message he was conveying. In 2004, we saw Senator Obama in a black suit, one that signifies power and authority.
As President addressing the nation, his favourite had remained the deep navy blue colour, one that inspires people to want to trust the leader, and navy blue is the suit he wears during his last speech. His use of fingers and hands reinforced the look of confidence and competence
3- The virility machine— There is no place to hide for communicators. Every debate is debated on the social media by millions. Every micro second of the spoken and unspoken actions is reeled, slow-motioned, enlarged and replayed till it is ingrained in minds.
We have examples of motivational speakers being caught off guard. Such videos become so viral that no matter what you do or say it is lost in the uproar of the netizens. That is why the study done by Harvard Business School that claims that speeches that do not change voter perceptions need to be re-thought and re-addressed. What they are saying is of course research based and backed by numbers.
However, these polls are done immediately after the debates when the real impact has not been fully registered.
The real impact starts when the Tik Tok community gets their act together. That act includes memes, commentaries, discussions in a thousand different way. Everybody becomes an analyst and micro-discusses each word and act again and again shared by billions. That is when perception is bombarded and can change.
We are in a world of narratives. These narratives are shaped by experts and delivered by public speakers. The ability to choose the words according to the audience is crucial. What is critical is to deliver it not just with your tongue but with your body, and even better, with your heart, is what moves the unmoved.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024