Why We Love The King’s Speech! Winning the Battle Against Man’s Greatest Fear

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Communication is a multi-dimensional expression and to change it requires an approach which trains the body, strengthens the mind and adds courage to the heart.

Dallas, TX (Vocus/PRWEB) March 01, 2011

The best films always touch the deepest hopes, fears and dreams of the human struggle. The same is true for Oscar favorite, The King’s Speech, which identifies man’s greatest fear, the fear of public speaking. The story shares the struggle of King George VI to overcome his speech impediment and performance anxiety, so that he can lead Great Britain into World War II.

“The fear of public speaking is not about the speaking – it is the public part that frightens us,” explains veteran TV and Media Coach Lynn Scarborough. “Part of life is dealing with the embarrassment and humiliation that comes from making a mistake in front of others; often, the larger the crowd the greater the fear. We all develop behavior patterns to protect ourselves from the potential pain of rejection or shame.”

The technical term for this common phobia is Glossophobia which comes from the Greek meaning fear or dread (phobos) of the tongue (glossa). Studies have shown that “tongue fear” or stage fright is shared by over 75% of the population, regardless of sex, nationally or socio-economic level.

“The interaction between the future King (Colin Firth) and his unconventional therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), clearly identifies five universal steps needed to improve public speaking skills,” explains Ms. Scarborough who has conducted thousands of training sessions for TV news anchors, reporters, and business leaders. She explains, “The five steps to building communication success are:
1. Vocal exercises to retrain muscles and improve vocal production;
2. Build mental confidence through gradual success;
3. Discover a person’s true voice by addressing emotional blocks;
4. Clarify focus by aligning purpose with audience expectation;
5. Rehearse in a safe environment.”

Audiences have asked if the methods used in the film are realistic. “Yes, I use some of the same basic exercises, even the trick recording with media training. Every day coaches, therapists and directors use some of these techniques, because they work,” Scarborough responds. “Communication is a multi-dimensional expression and to correct deeply rooted patterns, it requires an approach which trains the body, strengthens the mind and adds courage to the heart.”

In a “YouTube-ITalk-Video-Driven” world, personal communication skills are a critical key to success. “The great hope The King’s Speech imparts is, that by utilizing these methods, it is possible for even a King to conquer Man’s Greatest Fear!” Ms. Scarborough concludes.

Lynn Wilford Scarborough is CEO of EmPowerCom.US which specializes in media coaching and Strategic Business Communications training for newsrooms, business leaders, IT teams and non-profit organizations. She has conducted over 6,000 personal sessions and is author of Talk Like Jesus, Change Your World with the S.I.M.P.L.E. Steps of the Master Communicator.

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