Whether it’s a theater trailer on YouTube or an amateur video on Snapchat, the world of marketing is becoming more video-oriented. Experts suggest that video content will dominate the Internet within a few years. Because of that trend, business leaders may find themselves in front of the camera more often than they expected. Leadership in Focus: Bringing Out Your Best on Camera is about helping leaders jump ahead of the curve so they can make authentic and engaging videos when it’s time for the digital spotlight.
What is Leadership in Focus About?
As a small business owner, you might wonder why you would even consider a book like Leadership in Focus, which emphasizes helping executive leaders gain more confidence in front of the camera.
The answer is, you might find yourself in front of the camera as a leader.
As discussed above, the Internet will become an increasingly video-oriented place. This means the opportunities for business leaders to be in front of the camera will increase, whether it’s an employee orientation video, marketing video or public relations event.
For most small business owners, media training (which the author Vern Oakley has some issues with) isn’t an option. Preparation, however, is still needed because once the camera is on you, instincts take over. For many leaders, these instincts can make you appear formal, guarded and stiff. This is the exact opposite of how you want to appear.
Leadership in Focus was written to help leaders gain confidence so they can present their message with authenticity and transparency. That is the key point, not a list of speaking “to-do’s” that you might have learned from your communications course in college. Being authentic and transparent is important because, as a business owner, you are the face of the business.
As the face of the business, you are responsible for the message (what you say) and delivery (how you say it). While any leader can memorize the message and say it on camera, only a leader with good communication skills can deliver this message with the right amount of emotion to motivate people to action. Leadership in Focus offers several strategies to achieve this higher level of communication in case the opportunity to get in front of the camera ever presents itself.
Oakley aka “Business Artist” is an expert filmmaker, teacher, speaker and adjunct professor. Oakley founded his own production company, Tribe Pictures, which went on to win over 150 industry awards. Oakley’s projects have helped Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and various institutions. One notable project was the award-winning children’s TV series “Reading Rainbow”.
What Was Best About Leadership in Focus?
Leadership in Focus is different from other books in the speech and presentation category because of its hyper-specific topic and laid-back approach to giving speeches. Most “speech books for leaders” focus on static rules for communicating as a leader: Dress nicely. Keep it formal. Oakley counters this. His emphasis is on comfort and authenticity. He argues that comfort and authenticity deliver a more impactful message to the audience than formally sticking to a script.
What Could Have Been Done Differently?
Having a book with a limited perspective (video communication tips for business owners) can definitely have its downsides. Leadership In Focus observes how average small business owners won’t have easy access to a production team, makeup people or video editors. That said, the book’s unique advice on delivering a message with authenticity and conviction are helpful in almost every context where leadership needs to communicate.
Why Read Leadership in Focus?
Leadership In Focus is a book with a very specific purpose aimed at a very specific audience. If you happen to be a CEO or other executive who needs help feeling more comfortable in front of the camera, this book will definitely be for you. If you are not in this category, this book may still help you improve your confidence in front of the camera, something that every leader may have to face in a world increasingly depending on video messages. If you are looking for a book to help you address the delivery of a message using video, this book, written by an award-winning and experienced filmmaker, might provide the answer.
This article, “Leadership in Focus Gets You Ready to Get In Front of the Camera” was first published on Small Business Trends