What Theater Can Teach Leaders About Communication

When business leaders present, they often set their emotions aside in an attempt to seem more professional. But we are emotional beings. Everything that goes through our hearts and minds influences how we express ourselves. And what is theater if not a form of communication based on emotions. Actors are experts in emotion-driven communication. So, there is a connection between theater and business, since we all want the same thing when we speak. Whether actor or business executive, actor or non-actor, we want to connect, empathize, and touch the hearts and minds of our listeners. That’s why theater can help us express ourselves better, with passion, conviction, and fun!

Managers who understand that they are actors on the stage of life prepare to deliver the best version of themselves and, like good stage directors, leave nothing to chance (from the script to the scenery, costume design, or connection with the audience). All of this enhances their performance. Let’s look at how.

Four lessons from theater to communicate like a leader

1. Prepare the content. This process entails much more than putting together a slide deck in PowerPoint, since that should only cover the key headlines and figures, not the entire message. Use the “Notes” section of each slide to jot down key sentences you don’t want to forget with the exact wording you want to use. The slides are part of the scenery, a backdrop to embellish your performance, not something to be read from.
2. Rehearse in advance. The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you’ll be. Have doubts? Rehearse. Afraid you’ll forget something? Rehearse. Worried you won’t be persuasive enough? Rehearse more. Rehearsing prepares you for the unexpected, because things don’t always go according to plan. And don’t think that rehearsing will make you sound less natural, because even naturalness takes practice. You need to rehearse in order to leave room for improvisation. Rehearsing consists of three stages:  text rehearsal, physical rehearsal, and technical rehearsal.
3. Tap into the audience’s emotion. Are you going to tell a story or give a report? It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in: as a leader, you are a storyteller. No matter how technical your presentation is, no matter how many figures and analyses you are dealing with, if you want the audience to tune in and connect, you need to tell a story. Because humans are social creatures, and stories allow us to empathize and understand complex situations. Stories evoke emotions (joy, fear, surprise, sadness), and memory is closely linked to emotions.
4. Relax and focus to overcome any pre-performance jitters through deep, abdominal breathing. Going on stage is a thrilling, but challenging experience, because it is not a “natural” act. It causes our adrenaline to surge, triggering direct physical responses (our voice trembles, our hands sweat, our hearts race, our movements become jumpy, etc.). How can we appear relaxed and self-assured in front of an audience? Before performing, take three long, slow, deep abdominal breaths. And don’t start until the stress subsides. Better to let the audience wait just a bit longer than to step out feeling like a nervous wreck.