Chris Anderson is the curator of the TED (Tech...

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As with every skill, there are do’s and don’t’s involved in public speaking.

One of the best sources of great speakers is the TED Talks website, which contains over a thousand presentations from speakers at the very top of their field of expertise.

When they invite a new speaker to speak, they send them a list of 10 commandments that I would recommend keeping in mind if you ever have to stand up in front of a group of people to share your thoughts.

  1. Thou shalt not simply trot out thy usual schtick.
  2. Thou shalt dream a great dream, or show forth a wondrous new thing, or share something thou hast never shared before.
  3. Thou shalt reveal thy passion and thy curiosity.
  4. Thou shalt tell a story.
  5. Thou shalt freely comment on the utterances of other speakers for the sake of blessed connection and exquisite controversy.
  6. Thou shalt not flaunt thine ego.  Be thou vulnerable.  Speak of thy failure as well as thy success.
  7. Thou shalt not sell from the stage: Neither thy company, thy goods, thy writings, nor thou desperate need for funding, lest thou be cast aside into utter darkness.
  8. Thou shalt remember all the while, laughter is good.
  9. Thou shalt not read thy speech.
  10. Thou shalt not steal the time of them that follow thee.

It’s a great list isn’t it?

Which one do you need to remember the most when you speak?

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