As the use of motivational speakers becomes more and more prevalent within the commercial and academic sectors of the United Kingdom, traditionalists all over the nation are often heard criticising and turning their noses up at what they scathingly declare to be some absurd new fangled American tendency. It’s funny, actually, the way nearly anything which is popular in the US is so swiftly written off by particular types of scornful Brits.
What’s maybe more amusing, in an ironic type of way, is that the motivational speakercouldn’t be any further from some new fangled American trend. Motivational speaking is not brand new at all. Illustrations of the motivational speaker can be found all the way through history; as far back as speech itself goes.
Not only in history is the motivational speaker well known. Throughout centuries of literature, the most effective leaders were consistently good speakers. Fictional motivational speakers have long inspired new generations of speakers. Which speaker hasn’t tried to emulate the power, influence and drama wielded by Marc Antony in Shakespeare’s rhetoric-laced ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen’ speech?
The work of a good motivational speaker can’t be underestimated. A powerful example is that of Winston Churchill’s ‘We shall fight them on the beaches’ speech. Morale has been raised and conflicts have been won and lost by good motivational speakers.
It follows then, really, that their capabilities within the corporate and academic sectors has been seen. When morale is low and sales have plummeted, it’s unbelievably easy for organisations to get themselves stuck in a rut. Uplifting words uttered by managers all too often take an accusatory or warning tone, which hinders rather than aids the problem. Hardly surprising then that the motivational speaker is in a lot more demand than ever.
Who then is the motivational speaker of the twenty-first century? In the public eye it’s still the politicians. In the world of sports it’s the football managers. In the world of learning it’s the teachers. However as motivational speaking becomes big business the motivational speaker becomes a more vague, more fluid notion. Today’s motivational speaker may be the big business man, the sports legend, the adventurer, the celeb and the success story, or any blend thereof. You might question their effectiveness or question their authority, but you just can’t argue with the results of a fantastic motivational speaker.
