As we head into Super Tuesday, it’s too early to predict which presidential candidate will ultimately become the Democratic nominee. But there’s one candidate using a rhetorical tool worth noting. 

As we hunker down during the pandemic, Governors across the country have taken to the airwaves. Much has been written about who has – and who hasn’t – delivered in the battle against covid-19. As a speechwriter, I began to track the appearances of our more effective Governors: Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Mike DeWine and the like. I was intrigued.

It was about 8am, the start of morning rush hour on I-5 South. I was driving. Traffic was heavy.  I kept my eyes on the road, while tinkering with the volume button on the radio.

There was something in her speech – honestly, I wasn’t sure what – but she had captured my attention. I wanted to catch every single word and, as a professional speechwriter, I wanted to figure out why.

By far the ones who put in all the hard work ahead of time to internalize their speeches – and did not worry one minute about the need to memorize their speeches – came across much more engaging, authentic and real.

When your body language and words don’t match, what happens? People believe your body language.  A CEO can talk endlessly about encouraging workers to speak up but, if he talks down to people, he likely won’t elicit much by way of grassroots innovation.

Each time I re-watch General Morrison’s remarks, I’m reminded -- and impressed -- by his candor in setting clear expectations. His message? The Australian Army won’t tolerate sexism. If you think it’s acceptable to degrade, exploit, or harass women in uniform, then, he says, “get out.” (Then he adds, best of luck finding an employer who’ll allow that kind of behavior!)

We all know that speaking in a mask can be tough. With just a little effort, you can overcome this physical barrier and maybe even become a more effective communicator.

Over the past 14 months, millions of people working online have created a new norm to end a video meeting. I’m talking about that awkward, overly-exaggerated wave we do before signing off: the Zoom wave.

Over the past 14 months, millions of people have begun working from home due to COVID-19. The most common complaint I hear — and can relate to — is the difficulty of attending endless hours of online meetings.