6 public speaking lessons from Mick Jagger

Here’s how you can work some moves like Jagger into your speech the next time you take the stage.

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We used the show as a field trip to watch a master performer in action. And Mick Jagger is a master. There’s no doubt anyone who speaks in public can learn from him.

As Nick says, “Any time I get a chance to see a legendary performer like Jagger, I jump at it, because it’s a chance to learn stagecraft useful for public speakers.”

Jagger has stagecraft aplenty. He owns the stage from the opening numbers (“Get Off of My Cloud” and “It’s Only Rock and Roll”) and never lets up, save a couple of numbers where he sits down to rest and lets Keith Richards sing and play.

What can we learn from the indefatigable performer?

1. Precision

Jagger knows exactly where he is at every moment. He doesn’t waste a gesture, move or step. He knows where the other Stones are, where the spotlight is and, most of all, what the audience is doing. He’s probably the most self-aware performer we’ve ever witnessed. He’s a pro.

So many speakers resist rehearsal because they don’t want to get stale. Jagger shows how counter-productive that attitude is.

2. Focus

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