Winston Churchill once observed that of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory.
The ability to speak well, he opined, is a power “more durable than that of a great king.”
Certainly, the prestige we might assign to oratory prowess has changed considerably since Churchill’s day.
While we are able to recognize a great speaker when we hear one – Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy, and Churchill himself come to mind – today’s world of 20-second sound bites, status updates, and 140-character tweets may lead some to believe the ability to speak well is no longer essential. (more…)