Judith Humphrey is founder of The Humphrey Group Inc., one of North America's premier leadership communications firms. Over the past 30 years The Humphrey Group has coached tens of thousands of leaders who wish to influence and inspire when they speak. The firm's pathbreaking program for women has reached over a half million individuals around the world. Humphrey is a keynote speaker and author of three books (Speaking as a Leader, Taking the Stage, and Impromptu). She is also a regular columnist for Fast Company.
She lives with her family in Toronto. For more on the author and her books, see www.judithhumphrey.com and follow her on twitter @judith_humphrey.
Prologue: The Soul of This Book xi
Introduction 1
Part I THE NEW WORLD OF IMPROMPTU 9
1 The Rise of Impromptu Speaking 11
2 Power of Spontaneity 23
Part II THE IMPROMPTU MIND-SET 33
3 Be Intent on Leading 35
4 Be a Listener 45
5 Be Authentic 55
6 Be Focused 65
7 Be Respectful 71
Part III THE LEADER'S SCRIPT 79
8 Lay the Groundwork 81
9 Read Your Audience 89
10 The Scripting Template 97
11 Commit to a Message 103
12 Make a Compelling Case 111
13 Beginnings and Endings 119
Part IV IMPROMPTU SCRIPTS FOR EVERY OCCASION 125
14 Meetings 127
15 Job Interviews, Networking, and Elevator Conversations 135
16 Just the Big Picture 145
17 Toasts and Tributes 151
18 The Impromptu Speech 159
19 Q&A 165
Part V THE IMPROMPTU STAGE 175
20 Rehearse Your Remarks 177
21 Choose YourWords 187
22 Use Improv Techniques 195
23 Find Your Voice 203
24 Master Body Language 211
Conclusion: Don't Be Scared, Be Prepared 219
Endnotes 225
Acknowledgments 239
Index 243