Leading Lines

How to make speeches that seize the moment, advance your cause and lead the way. For those who aim to be leaders, mastering the power of speechmaking -the art and craft of persuasion - is more important than ever. If you want to be heard, it's not enough to have something to say: you must know how to say it. In government, business or civil society, a leader's speech sets the tone: the wrong words can destroy a company, damage a reputation, or even start a war. But the right speech can build prosperity, drive peaceful solutions and bring people together. This book meets the difficulties of modern speechmaking head-on, taking us through the process of formulating ideas, finding the best ways to express them, and delivering an accomplished address. Using examples from history, literature and her 25- year career as a speechwriter, Lucinda Holdforth writes a compelling analysis of celebratory, rallying and explanatory speeches. She reminds us that democracies rise and fall on the quality of the debates we conduct and the subsequent decisions we make. This is not only a practical manual for crafting a powerful speech, it's a cracking read. The right words can be transformative. They can stir a heart or reimagine the world. Leading Lines will help you find those words, and lead the way. About the Author Lucinda is a speech writer, speechwriting coach, and author. She works with senior business leaders to craft speeches that are compelling and entertaining, serving their tactical and long-term objectives. Her client list includes board directors and senior executives across the aviation, telecommunications and information technology, banking and mining sectors. She has worked with leaders such as Geoff Dixon, Kim Beazley and Paul Keating. She is also the author of True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris and Why Manners Matter: The Case for Civilised Behaviour in a Barbarous World.