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This issue is about the words we choose and what we can learn about others when we listen carefully.
March 2008
Volume VI, Issue 2
YOUR GUIDE TO SECURING THE POWER OF PERSUASION
COACHING SERVICES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING, PRESENTATION & COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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The Psychology of
“I” vs. “We”: Hillary vs. Barack
“Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal
the soul within.”
- Lord Alfred Tennyson
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Sometimes the smallest of words speak the loudest. Sometimes the most common words can
provide the deepest insight into what our true message is.
This issue of The Beacon is about choice. Specifically, it is about the words
we choose, and what our words reveal about who we are and what we believe. And this issue
is about what we can learn about others when we listen carefully.
Our backdrop is the political race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination and
the choice between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. However, this issue of The Beacon is not about
political beliefs or preferences. And it is not an endorsement of any kind – that
would be comically self-absorbed on our part. Rather, it is about examining the sharply
contrasting speaking styles of Senators Obama and Clinton, a consideration of the
language they use, and how word choice can apply to leadership communication of all kinds.
The Democrats are arguably in the midst of the most engaging fight in the modern history
of their party. It is a fight for their future and their soul… and the world is
watching with great interest. The party’s choice for a presidential nominee will
impact not only the votes of registered Democrats, but also the millions of Americans who
sit in the independent middle and many frustrated others who are curious about what
their options will be in November.
On January 3, 2008, Barack Obama won the Iowa caucus, the first major test in the 2008
presidential primary season. Five days later, on January 8, Hillary Clinton won the New
Hampshire primary. In each case, the winning candidate gave the customary victory speech
to a room full of rabid supporters. In each case, the victor spoke for about 15 minutes.
We listened to both speeches on the nights they were delivered and several times afterwards
at www.youtube.com. On the surface, both speeches accomplished the necessary
things – thanking supporters, laying out some policy ideas, and trying to build momentum
for the next primary test. But upon further inspection, there was something else worth
dissecting. A careful listen revealed a speech pattern that may provide insight into the
type of leader each potential president might be.
Excerpt from Senator Obama’s Iowa Speech
“They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high.
They said this country was too divided, too disillusioned, to ever come together around
a common purpose. But on this January night, at this defining moment in history, you
have done what the cynics said we could not do. You have done what the state of New Hampshire
can do in five days. You have done what America can do in this new year, 2008. In lines
that stretched around schools and churches, in small towns and in big cities, you came
together as Democrats, Republicans and Independents, to stand up and say that we are
one nation, that we are one people, and that our time for change has come.”
This is the opening passage from Senator Obama’s January 3rd speech. In these words,
we hear a message of unity and inclusion. There is not a single “I” in the
first few sentences. In fact, Obama does not use the pronoun “I” even once
in the first five minutes of his speech, and by the end, the usage of pronouns “we” and “you” outnumbered “I” three
to one. Upon breaking Obama’s speech into thirds, the pronoun choice is even more
revealing. The theme of the first third is clearly “we”; so, too, with the
last third. Only in the middle five minutes does Obama repeatedly speak in the first-person
singular.
Excerpt from Senator Clinton’s New Hampshire Speech
“I come tonight with a very full heart, and I want especially to thank New
Hampshire. Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process, I found my own
voice. I felt like we all spoke from our hearts, and I am so gratified that you responded.
Now, together, let’s give America the kind of comeback that New Hampshire has
just given me.”
These first few sentences from Senator Clinton’s January 8th speech have a very
different tone from Obama’s. Her pronoun choice clearly indicates a focus on
herself. During the first few minutes of this speech, Clinton’s dominant pronoun
choice is “I.” Her closing is similar in this regard. By our count, over the
course of her entire speech, she says “I” just as frequently as she says “we” or “you.” When
we break it down into thirds, the opening and the closing are about the “I,” and
only the middle is about “we” and “you.”
What lessons can be drawn from such observations? We admit that we have chosen a small
cross section of the words these candidates have uttered over many months of campaigning.
But we believe that these samples reveal the dominant speech pattern, and pronoun preference,
for each of them. Clients of The Latimer Group have often heard us discuss the importance
of pronoun choice when speaking in public. The best speakers make the audience feel like
they are part of something. The best speakers speak to the issues of the audience. And
the easiest way to demonstrate that you are concerned with issues beyond your own is to
speak in the first-person plural (“we”) far more often than the first-person
singular (“I”).
Does this observation suggest that Obama would be a better president than Clinton? Not
necessarily. One could argue that she has more experience and knowledge of the issues,
and is better equipped to navigate the depths of Washington politics.
However, we submit to you that communication skills and style do matter – for
all of us, but especially for our leaders. In our experience, there is often a direct correlation
between great communication and great leadership. The great leader can motivate. The great
leader makes you feel like you are part of a common cause. When the great leader speaks,
you feel like they are speaking directly to you.
When we listened to Mr. Obama’s speech, we were entranced. We had goose bumps. We
felt he was speaking to us, even though we don’t live in Iowa and had never cast
a vote for the man. In contrast, when we listened to Mrs. Clinton’s speech, we heard
her talk about herself.
Our point is that we encourage you to listen carefully to the words people choose when
they speak and to consider how those words may provide insights for you. There are many
skills a business leader – or a president – needs in order to be successful.
Leaders of the highest order cannot be one-dimensional. We submit that powerful, persuasive
and inspiring speaking skills should be among the most important skills we seek in
our leaders.
There are many lessons to draw from this comparison of two very different speaking styles.
For business leaders, the lesson is to choose your words carefully. The people you lead
need to know that you care about more than just yourself, and your speech pattern will
provide clear insight into what matters most to you. And the lesson for voters in these
primaries and the general election in the fall is to listen carefully to what is being
said. As Americans, we have a unique opportunity during the campaigning process to gain
insight into what type of leader a presidential candidate might be. Pay attention to the
clues they are giving us now.
Dean M. Brenner
President |
Marni H. Lane
Media Specialist |
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© 2008 The Latimer Group. All Rights Reserved.
Dean M. Brenner -
The Latimer Group: 203.265.4344.
Feedback or comments: dmbrenner@thelatimergroup.com.
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