The Public Speaking Class: An appreciation

Editor’s note:  This article was written by Olusegun Olaoluwa Olu, a member of ALG”s Public Speaking Class Cohort 14, which completed the course in February. Public Speaking Class Cohort 15 begins on Tuesday, April 16. You can register here. 

Alvin Toffler, writer, and futurist wrote, “The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn and unlearn.”

An impactful life is all about learning and unlearning. I have been speaking for most of my adult life, as a professional and as a pastor. I thought I knew it all. So, for a long time I resisted my wife’s urging to attend the African Leadership Group’s Public Speaking Course of which she was an alumnus.

I joined Cohort 14 expecting only to add to my content and prepare myself for future opportunities to speak before a variety of audiences. And in just 12 weeks I achieved all these and more.

Speech after speech, and presentation after presentation brought out the hidden treasures in all the participants. From “I cannot do it” to “I will try” and then “I can do it”. It was awesome.

Kudos to my course-mates. We learned a lot from our shared experiences coming from different countries, cultures, religions, professions, and outlooks about life.

I was enriched with knowledge from the books, “Think and Grow” Rich by Dr. Napoleon King, “Fated to Win” by our own Madiama Mbaye, and others while researching for my presentations. I can now research my topics, structure my speeches, understand the mood of my audience and apply non-verbal communication more effectively.

The facilitators’ professional and practical approach produced in me a more enlightened, deeply reflecting and better performing speaker than I ever was. I unlearned old things and learned new ones. Thank you, African Leadership Group, for this laudable initiative. This course is highly recommended to all.

Greater heights, ALG; Greater heights Public Speaking Course.