How can you identify potential leaders or mentors using a public speaking skills assessment?

Public speaking skills are not only useful for delivering presentations, speeches, or pitches, but also for identifying potential leaders or mentors in your field. Whether you are looking for someone to guide you, collaborate with you, or inspire you, you can use a public speaking skills assessment to evaluate their communication abilities, confidence, and charisma. In this article, you will learn how to use a simple framework to assess public speaking skills and find the leaders or mentors you need.

1 The 4 Cs of public speaking skills

The 4 Cs of public speaking skills - clarity, confidence, connection, and charisma - are essential qualities that make a speaker effective, engaging, and influential. These criteria can be used to assess the public speaking skills of potential leaders or mentors. Clarity involves conveying a clear and concise message that is easy to understand and remember. Signs of clarity include simple language, avoiding jargon, and repeating key points. Confidence involves expressing oneself with authority, conviction, and credibility. Signs of confidence are speaking with enthusiasm, using gestures, and avoiding filler words. Connection involves relating to the audience, establishing rapport, and eliciting emotions. Signs of connection are asking questions, using examples, and showing empathy. Charisma involves attracting and influencing the audience, creating a positive impression, and inspiring action. Signs of charisma are using metaphors, anecdotes, and quotes.

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Kathryn Preston

The Confidence Coach • Transform Talent into Confident, Dynamic Leadership • Works with Organizations and 1:1 Talent • Keynote Speaker
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If wondering how to apply the 4 Cs, imagine going to lunch with someone. Exhibiting the 4 Cs used in public speaking makes for the same fun experience as going to lunch with someone clear, confident, connected, and charismatic — they are just interesting! Public speaking isn’t all that different, but instead of speaking to 1-2 people at an intimate table setting you are now speaking to exponents of individuals. Now, you still give the sensation you are speaking to each individual person in a large audience. That is effective application of the 4 Cs, and so many people have these skills already but may not realize it.

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2 How to use the 4 Cs framework

To use the 4 Cs framework to identify potential leaders or mentors, you need to observe and score their public speaking performance. This can be done live, online, or through recordings. You should pay attention to how they use the 4 Cs of public speaking skills and note down any strengths or weaknesses you notice. Then, rate their performance on each of the 4 Cs using a simple scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. You can use your own judgment or a rubric to guide you. Lastly, add up the scores for each C and get a total score out of 20.

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David Grasso

Journalist | Television Commentator | Non-Profit Leader | Harvard
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The 4-Cs framework: clarity, confidence, connection, and charisma - will help you break down a speaker's abilities into distinct buckets. Some speakers excel in certain categories and lack in others. The framework will help you understand their core strengths that you can emulate and modify to improve your own speaking skills.

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3 How to interpret the scores

Interpreting the scores you get from the 4 Cs framework can help you identify potential leaders or mentors based on their public speaking skills. Those who score 16-20 are likely to be highly effective communicators, persuasive, and motivating. They can provide valuable advice and feedback, while those who score 11-15 may need more practice or coaching. Speakers who score 6-10 are still learning or developing their public speaking skills, so they can benefit from exchanging ideas and experiences. Lastly, those who score 1-5 are inexperienced or ineffective in public speaking, so it is best to avoid them or help them improve.

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4 How to apply the results

The results you get from the 4 Cs framework can help you decide how to approach potential leaders or mentors based on their public speaking skills. If a speaker scores high, you can reach out to them and express your admiration and interest, asking for tips, feedback, or mentorship. If they score medium, you can connect with them and share your compliments and suggestions, as well as ask for opinions or collaboration. Lastly, if they score low, you can choose to either ignore them or help them depending on your goals and relationship. If you are looking for leaders or mentors who can guide or inspire you, it's better to avoid them. However, if you are looking for leaders or mentors who can grow with you or learn from you, then helping them is the better option.

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5 How to improve your own public speaking skills

The 4 Cs framework can be used to assess your own public speaking skills and identify areas for improvement. To do so, set a goal, seek feedback, practice, and learn from other speakers. Decide what aspect of public speaking you want to improve and why. Ask someone you trust or respect to watch or listen to your performance and give you feedback on the 4 Cs. Find opportunities to practice in different settings and situations. Study the public speaking skills of other speakers who score high on the 4 Cs framework. Read books, articles, or blogs on public speaking skills and apply the tips and techniques you learn. By following these steps, you can become a better public speaker.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Lan TTN

Business Development Manager
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In my opinion, I prefer 4Cs above + 1S means sales. I think just talking is not enough. The leader/ Mentor should be or used to be a sales with successful cases and failed cases to share in deep.

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How can you identify potential leaders or mentors using a public speaking skills assessment?

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1 The 4 Cs of public speaking skills

2 How to use the 4 Cs framework

3 How to interpret the scores

4 How to apply the results

5 How to improve your own public speaking skills

6 Here’s what else to consider

Public Speaking

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How can you identify potential leaders or mentors using a public speaking skills assessment?

1

2

3

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1 The 4 Cs of public speaking skills

2 How to use the 4 Cs framework

3 How to interpret the scores

4 How to apply the results

5 How to improve your own public speaking skills

6 Here’s what else to consider

Public Speaking

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