The Face of Opportunity Business forum was another stellar performance by Simon Talling Smith, who really should have his own reality show…. The Amazing Business Race. Also on the program was Shelby Scarborough, a former protocol officer for Reagan, Bush and Nixon. She also planned events for Pope John Paul II. She spoke of protocol originating from the Greek word meaning “first glue” that holds relationships together, as well as the importance of adapting business relationships to the local culture.
But the star of the evening was Sir Clive Woodward, the British Rugby Coach who led his team to the World Cup in 2003. His talk about the similarities of sports and business reminded me of why I started a COACHING company. He spoke of how people with talent can only advance if they are teachable. They must also have T-CUP, the ability to Think Clearly Under Pressure and maintain a good attitude. He also showed a Steve Hartman piece on an autistic basketball player as an example of all the right stuff. The young athlete’s story was amazing, and the video itself was a prime example of the storytelling techniques that I teach on-camera storytellers.
Seeing these excellent presenters at the top of their game is a motivator for me to continue to improve my own presenting skills.