--- title: The 5-Step Formula for Presenting Like a Leader description: Many books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. In The New Articulate Executive: Look,... canonical: https://time.com/2839930/the-5-step-formula-for-presenting-like-a-leader/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-08T04:01:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:54:13.174Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The 5-Step Formula for Presenting Like a Leader og:description: Many books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. In The New Articulate Executive: Look,... og:url: https://time.com/2839930/the-5-step-formula-for-presenting-like-a-leader/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The 5-Step Formula for Presenting Like a Leader twitter:description: Many books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. In The New Articulate Executive: Look,... twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The 5-Step Formula for Presenting Like a Leader by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 8, 2014 4:01 AM UTC by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jun 8, 2014 4:01 AM UTC Many books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. In [The New Articulate Executive: Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WJR5Q8/?tag=barking-20) Granville Toogood lays out an excellent 5 part progression for effective presentations. ## 1) Start Strong **Just like a good movie, you want to start out with something that really grabs the audience.** _“But how do I do that?”_ The book provides a great list of techniques. Via [The New Articulate Executive : Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WJR5Q8/?tag=barking-20): 1. Begin with the ending 2. Personal Story 3. Anecdote or illustration 4. Rhetorical question 5. Quotation 6. Project into the future 7. Look into past 8. Humor And another good trick to a strong start is having your opener down cold. **Anxiety levels drop after a few minutes so having the intro well-rehearsed gets you through the toughest part of the talk.** Via [The Art of Public Speaking](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GXCJ0M/?tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- ## 2) Have One Theme You’d love to convey 67 points and have everyone remember everything. _And that is never going to happen._ (You don’t even remember the 8 techniques I listed under “Start Strong” and you just read that a few seconds ago.) **Your audience can walk away with one really good message.** **Be clear about what it is ahead of time and your presentation will be more focused.** How does the military make sure objectives are clear when plans are complex and lives are on the line? They use a concept called “Commander’s Intent”: **_CI is a crisp, plain-talk statement that appears at the top of every order, specifying the plan’s goal, the desired end-state of an operation._** If the unpredictable occurs rendering plans ineffective, the CI still allows everyone to stay focused on the end goal. Via [Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400064287/?tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Have one clear message and the presentation will be easier for you to craft and your audience to remember. (Here’s more on [Commander’s Intent](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/technique-military-plans-work-battlefield).) ## 3) Good Examples Abstract concepts can be hard to grasp and remember. People need examples and stories as mental hooks to hang memories on. **Use anecdotes to illustrate principles for the audience. Create a way for them to see what you’re talking about and to provide proof.** People remember stories, not stats. Via [Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400064287/?tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Here’s more on [how to be a great storyteller](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/03/interview-ucla-film-school-professor-howard-suber-explains-storyteller/). ## 4) Conversational Language **Always stay conversational. Research shows when you use big words to sound smart you’re actually perceived as** [**_less intelligent_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/05/does-trying-to-look-smart-make-us-seem-stupid/)**:** --- > “” --- ## 5) Strong Ending How do you make sure the end of your presentation is strong and memorable? The book breaks out six methods that can help. Via [The New Articulate Executive : Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WJR5Q8/?tag=barking-20): 1. Summarize key point or key points. One or three. One is best. 2. Loop back to the beginning 3. Ask the audience to do something specific 4. Appeal to the positive 5. Project ahead 6. Tell a symbolic story that embraces your message Why is a strong ending so important? **Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Prize winner and author of** [**Thinking, Fast and Slow**](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0374275637/?tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0374275637)**, has shown that your brain really remembers only two things about an event:** 1. **The emotional peak** 2. **The end** Via [The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060005696/?tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- ## Now How Am I Supposed to Remember All This? Toogood uses the acronym POWER: * **P**unch (Strong opener) * **O**ne Theme * **W**indow (Visualize with anecdotes) * **E**ar (Speak conversationally) * **R**etention More on giving powerful presentations [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/08/presentation-techniques/) and [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/10/public-speaking-fear/). **Join 45K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/) [6 Hostage Negotiation Techniques That Will Get You What You Want](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/) [Which professions have the most psychopaths? The fewest?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/11/professions-most-fewest-psychopaths/) _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/)_._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2839930/the-5-step-formula-for-presenting-like-a-leader/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2839930/the-5-step-formula-for-presenting-like-a-leader/"},"headline":"The 5-Step Formula for Presenting Like a Leader","datePublished":"2014-06-08T04:01:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:54:13.174Z","description":"Many books have tactics for giving a good presentation but few establish a reliable structure that works every time. 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