A key thing that I learned at the Monday May 5th Gravista Leaders session with Dr. John Kenworthy is that communicating with impact is really all about chemistry. And with that I mean the substances – cortisol, oxytocin and others – in our body, and especially in our brains. Delivering a memorable presentation is a question of keeping those substances under a certain balance, along a story. Once upon a time…

Whilst an excellent storyteller keeps the audience sufficiently anxious to know more, too much cortisol impairs the memory. Essentially, communication with impact is a therefore a question of managing distress vs. happiness. ‘Cold tap’ communication does not consolidate our memory, we need something for the heart and soul. Picture this in the context of a standard business meeting – how will you make this happen?

We need to dig into the pain and fill in the blanks with our knowledge and life experience. And present ourselves as the ones we truly are. Imperfect, vulnerable human beings – yet capable of overcoming great challenges.

What is your story?

Thank you John for sharing your knowledge with us.