E-couragement: Passion

“You’re afraid to show people what you’ve got inside.” He said. “And that’s where the best stuff is, the stuff that’s buried way deep down.” Red Foxx to Bernie Mac, Maybe You Never Cry Again I had been a fan of TED talks long before receiving the voice mail from Neil Belenky almost a year ago. Neil revealed that the license for a local TEDx event in Greensboro had been secured and they were looking for a presentation coach. I said yes, joining a committed group of volunteers critical to making this occasion a success. In the end, TEDx Greensboro was one of the most rewarding roles I’d ever experienced. Working beside the volunteers and speakers was both meaningful and moving. Shortly after the full-day event concluded, I found myself reflecting upon what had made these diverse messages so powerful. It became clear that one key trait moves listeners from interested to engaged.

All of our twelve presenters are experts in their fields; each is articulate, intelligent, successful, and prepared, but there’s more to it than that. In the end, one critical ingredient causes an audience to laugh, cry, gasp, and cheer. Passion. Passion is hard to define yet we know it when we see it. On Tuesday April 16, 2013, at TEDx Greensboro, our local experts took the stage at the Greensboro Historical Museum where one hundred attendees saw what passion looks and sounds like. See for yourself. Click on the name to watch their inspiring presentation:

• Kip Blakely, VP of Industry and Government Relations TIMCO Aviation Services is passionate about the future of flight.
• Dr. Cyndi Briggs, Teacher, co-founder of Imagination Installations, writer, consultant, and activist is passionate about helping you embrace your dreams.
• Rev. David Fraccaro, Executive Director, FaithAction International House is passionate about turning strangers into neighbors.
• Daniel Herr, Nanoscience Department Chair at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering is passionate about really small stuff.
• Spoma Jovanovic, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, UNCG is passionate about fueling conversations that generate change.
• Preston Lane, Artistic Director, Triad Stage is passionate about radical collaboration.
• Katie Marshall, UNCG graduate and corporate professional is passionate about the successful journey from student to professional.
• Troy McConnell, entrepreneur is passionate about acting, asking, and adapting.
• George Scheer, Collaborative Director, Elsewhere is passionate about elsewhere becoming everywhere.
• Justin Smith is passionate about lights that transform neighborhoods and communities.
• Thomas C. Wall, MD FACC CPE, Executive Medical Director, Triad HealthCare Network is passionate about healthcare that serves the right patient at the right time for the right reasons.
• Josephus Thompson III, Poet, is passionate about planting dreams and watching them grow.

There you have it. It takes more than being articulate and intelligent. It's not enough to be successful and prepared. To those qualities you must add passion. Like yeast used as a leavening agent causing dough to expand and rise, passion is the key communication ingredient causing your listeners to rise and take action. The passion that radiated from these speakers made me to want to act, change, and make a difference. That's what being engaged is all about.

Leave your comments: What are you passionate about?