Chris Anderson

If you plan to do a lot of public speaking, it’s really worth trying to find your own brand of humor that works. And if not, don’t panic. It’s not for everyone. There are plenty of other ways to connect.

Even if you truly are a genius, a drop-dead-gorgeous athlete, and a fearless leader, it’s best to let your audience figure that out for themselves.

. If you are generally goofy, then be goofy. If you are emotional, then be emotional. The one exception to that is if you are arrogant and self-centered. Then you should definitely pretend to be someone else.

Self-deprecation, in the right hands, is a beautiful thing.

Name-dropping

Stories that seem designed only to show off

Boasting about your or your company’s achievements

Making the talk all about you rather than an idea others can use.

the purpose of your talk is to gift an idea, not to self-promote.

Every leader needs someone she can count on for raw, honest feedback.

If you’re going to take on a tough subject like that, it’s a very good idea to connect with the audience first.

When you can pull together humor, self-deprecation, and insight into a single story, you have yourself a winning start.

They have started to share some of your emotions. They have started to care about you. They have started to like you.