What if people disagree with what I have to say? That’s the number one fear that holds people back from speaking in public. I want to share with you how ex-president Obama dealt with extreme disagreement and disruption when he spoke, and what we can learn from the way that he dealt with the situation. Let’s go.
“And if we do, then I guarantee you, I agree with you, although why don’t I talk about it later? Because I’m just about to finish. You and me, we’ll talk about it. All right, I’m going to be coming around.”
Note how he does two very critical things.
First, he stays pleasant and calm throughout. You don’t see a hint of, “I am stressed, I am upset.”” How dare this person do this?” What you see is openness, a willingness to engage, but also polite firmness at, “You’re disrupting me. What I would like to do is help you get heard at an appropriate time.”
“I agree with you. I want to hear from you. I love you back. You kind of screwed up my ending, but that’s okay. That’s okay. And we’ve got free speech in this country.”
And he ends with a stroke of genius.
So he used a disruption that he could not have planned for, could not have anticipated. And not only did he deal with it, but he turned it into something positive. That is the sign of a calm and controlled mind.
The next time you get tricky questions, remember these three lessons.
First, acknowledge the elephant in the room.
Number two, always diffuse the tension.
And number three, aim to get back on track.
What do you think? Are you still scared of people disagreeing with you? I would love to know.
