I will be glued to the TV on Oscar night because I’m fascinated by the power of the acceptance speeches. They’re a balancing act between emotion and concision; between sincerity and craft. Too much emotion and the speech can be embarrassing and silly; too little and it’s dull and offensive, because we want to see that the winner is grateful for being singled out.
One of my favorites from the past was Roberto Benigni. When he won, he leapt to the back of the seat in front of him and balanced there extending his arms in triumph. He then walked across the backs of the seats to get to the front of the auditorium, and when he reached the stairs to the stage, he jumped up each step with both feet at the same time, like a child in unbridled delight. “I am drowning in a sea of gratitude,” he beamed. “I want to dive in and kiss you all.” And then, that wonderful line: “I want to thank my parents for giving me the greatest gift of all: poverty!” Hilarious, and food for thought, too.
And speaking of genuine feeling, Gwyneth Paltrow was also striking a few years ago. She had obviously prepared a litany of dutiful thanks, but was overcome by her deeper feelings of gratitude for her family. I found the tears streaming down my face as I watched her stand in that astonishing moment of emotion and continue to wield language effectively to reveal feelings that were deeply personal and, at the same time, universal.
We don’t see much emotion in business speaking. Most of the time, the subjects we speak about call for logic and structure, not emotion. Or if they do call for it, a touch of enthusiasm is about all that’s expected. When we do try for emotion, we can get corny pretty quickly. But if we had at least a portion of Roberto’s enthusiasm, and some of Gwyneth’s open sincerity, I think we’d all be better off, speakers and listeners alike.