Take the Mic
A couple of years ago I was at a conference when a friend, a member of the planning committee, mentioned that one of the panelists on main stage event had missed their plane. She scrambled to find a replacement to speak on the news media and was lucky enough to secure someone last minute. The others on the panel were quite famous. One, an elder statesman and frequent political commentator, the other a news anchor from a major network, and the moderator was a former CEO of a radio news outlet. The chairs on the enormous stage stood about seven feet apart, leaving Tara McGowan, the understudy, replacement, stand-in, center stage on an island all her own in an emerald green dress. I have no idea how old she is, but she looked to be about thirty.
The first question went out to the group and the jolly news anchor took the mic and launched in. He talked for quite a long time—maybe ten minutes—with nods and support from the elder statesman and the moderator. He regaled us with stories about his career and lectured us on the vital importance television. Tara McGowan, poised and still, watched as he talked and talked. Honestly, I wasn’t taking much in—he was full of bluster and self-congratulation, chuckling at his own jokes. My mind was wandering when a flash of green caught my attention. Tara McGowan had moved suddenly, reaching her arm into the chasm between her chair and the anchor’s chair with her hand open. She was saying something we couldn’t hear. The anchor was startled and confused by whatever she was asking, then hesitantly, handed her the microphone.
I wish I could remember her exact words, but it was something like: “Only 30% of people get their news from television. And that number is falling. Most people don’t follow the news. The news follows them.”
From then on, I was riveted. Here was a young woman, a woman who nobody in the audience had heard of, who was, without a doubt, the most knowledgable person in the room on the topic. She was a true expert with deep knowledge of the current state of news media while the others were still entrenched in the golden years of TV and radio. She talked about the creative ways her Courier Newsroom finds its audience.
Everything about her was aligned: her content, her fluency in the topic, her clarity, her poise, her gestures, her voice, her facial expression, her strength. She was a great communicator. And, as a member of that audience, I am so grateful that she took the mic. She demanded the mic, for our sakes. She was not in any way rude or out of line, she was strong, self-possessed, and confidently took the time and space her words deserved.
We see illustrated in this example the difference between those who speak to give something to the audience and those who speak to get something from the audience. One has an intention that is a gift and the other a take.
Next time we find ourselves in a situation where our own expertise is valuable, please, please, for all our sakes, take the mic. Check in on our intention to make sure we are speaking to benefit others, this creates a congruence in the way we communicate, as well as giving us strength and confidence. If we take the mic with an intention that is for ourselves, to receive something from the audience such as admiration, pass the mic along.