Leading Lines

How to make speeches that seize the moment, advance your cause and lead the way.

‘Exhilarating, illuminating, and absolutely captivating, this book made me want to rush out and give a thousand speeches!’ – Charlotte Wood, author of The Natural Way of Things

For those who aim to be leaders, mastering the power of speechmaking -the art and craft of persuasion - is more important than ever. If you want to be heard, it’s not enough to have something to say: you must know how to say it.

In government, business or civil society, a leader’s speech sets the tone: the wrong words can destroy a company, damage a reputation, or even start a war. But the right speech can build prosperity, drive peaceful solutions and bring people together.

This book meets the difficulties of modern speechmaking head-on, taking us through the process of formulating ideas, finding the best ways to express them, and delivering an accomplished address.

Using examples from history, literature and her 25- year career as a speechwriter, Lucinda Holdforth writes a compelling analysis of celebratory, rallying and explanatory speeches. She reminds us that democracies rise and fall on the quality of the debates we conduct and the subsequent decisions we make.

This is not only a practical manual for crafting a powerful speech, it’s a cracking read.

The right words can be transformative. They can stir a heart or reimagine the world.

Leading Lines will help you find those words, and lead the way.