More at Home on a Cliff Face than on a Stage
Alex Honnold is best known for his free solo of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan. Without any ropes to save him if he fell, he climbed the 3000 foot cliff face through a feat of mental fortitude and meticulous planning and practice.
Here is his TED talk recounting his preparation and the climb itself.
His oration style is unconventional, particularly for a TED talk. More than anything, his oration style speaks to who he is. His manner of speaking mirrored his manner of climbing. Methodically planning out each word and sentence just like memorizing his route up El Capitan, his talk was completely non-spontaneous and antithetical to a typical TED talk delivery. Even so, this style complements his central message. Rather than the quintessential high strung presentation of TED talks, his measured diction created the feeling of focus and gravitas of free-soloing to place the listener in his mindset. Your palms get sweaty hearing him talk about his preparation, though you’re sitting firmly in a chair, because his tone clearly conveys the weight and stakes of the situation.
The key factor that stands out is his authenticity. His is certainly not a case of more polish than substance. It’s not difficult to tell that in his TED talk discussing the event, he’d rather be 3000ft above the ground one missed handhold from death than standing and speaking on that stage. Stripping the TED talk of any serious coaching and being able to relate to the trepidation of public speaking helped me relate with Alex and be more invested in his stories of danger. Had he presented himself as confident and invincible, the tension would evaporate, and we wouldn’t feel any of the uncertainty he faced when preparing for the climb.
Though Alex wouldn’t traditionally be considered a talented public speaker, his oration style still offers lessons about matching presentation style to complement the speech’s message and choosing the presentation style that’s true to yourself.