Stop trying to be Tony Robbins. · Compelling Communicators

Stop trying to be Tony Robbins.

I worked with a speaker who had a great idea for a TEDx talk. He had some experience on stage, but all of it had been modeled after Tony Robbins. High energy. Intense. Relentless momentum.

The problem was, that style didn't fit his topic. And it wasn't really him either.

His natural style was slower. Drier. He had this ironic humour that came out when he wasn't trying to perform.

So I suggested we lean into that instead.

The talk went well. But what he said afterwards stuck with me: doing it closer to his natural style meant he conserved a lot of energy. He wasn't exhausted from trying to be someone else.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀.

I was a Shodan in Kyokushin Karate. I taught for years and eventually ran the dojo. And one thing I learned early: every student has different strengths. My job wasn't to make them fight like me. It was to help them fight like themselves — but better.

Bruce Lee said it well: "Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water."

The same applies to speaking. You may be more or less humorous than I am. More or less charismatic. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you identify your strengths and maximise them.

Beware of mentors or advice that tells you exactly how to do things. Look instead for frameworks you can adapt to fit your individual style.

You don't need to be Tony Robbins. You need to be the best version of you.

Whose speaking style have you tried to copy — and did it work? 😉

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