Impromptu: Leading in the Moment

by Judith Humphrey

Be Prepared to Lead in the Assess, think, and respond on-the-spot Impromptu shows leaders how to think on their feet and respond eloquently in every situation. Never have there been so many opportunities to inspire and influence in everyday situations -- elevator chats, corridor conversations, networking gatherings, meetings, and ceremonial events. Indeed, today the most iconic leadership moments are spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment events that reveal the inner workings of the leader's mind. When these impromptu opportunities arise, leaders must be able to listen, think, and respond within seconds. They don't read a script from a page, they convey the narrative that is already in their mind. They can tailor a message—in a meeting, in the corridor, or in a tweet—to influence and inspire any audience. Those who shine in that moment are remembered for their leadership. Those who stumble are remembered for their gaffes, mixed messages, or insensitivity. Nobody remembers the leaders who retreat to their office, formulate a strategic plan, and distribute a memo the following week.

Guided by her entrepreneurial success as founder of The Humphrey Group and her firm's work with tens of thousands of leaders over the past 30 years, Judith Humphrey makes clear the importance of preparing to be spontaneous -- as counterintuitive as that may sound! Drawing upon the best impromptu moments from the Greeks to the present, the book looks at every aspect of impromptu speaking. You will learn how

Think like an impromptu leader Quickly read an audience of one or a thousand Collect your thoughts and craft a persuasive message 'Script' yourself within seconds for any occasion Avoid 'um's' and 'ah's' and use the right words at the right time Discover improv techniques that will enable you to shine Deliver your message with clarity, confidence, and conviction. The ability to speak on the spot is often seen as an innate gift, a talent of 'natural-born' leaders. The truth is, it's a skill that can be learned—a skill that is quickly becoming a must-have for anyone in a leadership position. Impromptu provides clear, actionable guidance to help you reach your full leadership potential. It will enable you to influence and inspire followers on the many 'small stages' that define our daily lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Business

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2017

Reviews

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I knew it wasn’t going to end well when I saw that the author started the book by saying “discipline and preparation are the secret to successful spontaneity”. She then proceeds to use the word “extemporaneous” 8 times in a five page introduction.

Extemporary means “spoken without preparation”, so how was she allowed to write a book that tells people to be prepared for unprepared speaking?

She talks about her career and accomplishments, then she talks about how everything a CEO once said used to be written by a speechwriter and now they just write Facebook posts, then she elaborates on how we can prepare for our “impromptu” speeches and pitches.

I don’t even think this would’ve been a decent book if the topic was just public speaking (without the impromptu element).

[Karen JEC · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message-based script is one of the more useful aspects discussed in the book and can be applied to nearly every situation. I've been more thoughtful how I approach people and talk to them, trying to keep this "Grabber, Message, Structure, Call to Action" structure in mind. The more I use it, the better results I see.

Worth reading but my attention waned, not helped by a 6-month hiatus in reading it. I am glad to have finally finished it.

Favourite Quotes:

"To lead in impromptu situations requires the right mindset, knowledge of your material, key messages, a sound structure, clear language, and an engaging presence."

"Respect for hands-on knowledge wins over respect for abstract authority."

"According to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span for a human being has dropped from twelve seconds in the year 2000 to eight seconds in 2013. This apparently is one second less than the attention span of a goldfish!"

"The ability to improvise is not just ‘winging it.’ It is built on foundations of study and practice that prepare the improviser for the moment of action." ~ Stephen T. Asma

[Michael Duyvesteijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key message of the book is that impromptu speaking is all about preparation. Use the “leader script” to formulate any off the cuff remark.

I found this to be very helpful about the book, next to recommendations like “Pausing before you speak” and having a catalogue of management messages ready that you can share at any time.

I’ll give one star less, because the first part of the book was more about “how to lead” than “impromptu speaking” and the book could’ve done without it for brevity’s sake.

[Mark Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ability to speak on the spot.

For all those that want to be able to speak on the spot without being prepared this book is for you and it gives you the tools and techniques that will allow you in whatever situation you find yourself to structure your thoughts and deliver a sound presentation. Now it’s time for me to practice what I have learned.

[Harding Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare to be spontaneous. This book gives you the tools you need to speak effectively, and eloquently, in any situation, no matter how "off-the-cuff".

[Feiyin Wang · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Gripper. Grap the audience's attention.
2. Conclusion. Tell your conclusion.
3. Structure. Show the structure of your reasoning.
4. CTA. Call to action

[Tianyuan Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To lead in impromptu situations requires the right mindset, knowledge of your material, key messages, a sound structure, clear language, and an engaging presence."

[Lisa Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insights for impromptu speaking.