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The WOW vs. AHA Matrix

We can all agree that you never want to be in the bottom left quadrant.

But surprisingly, there are strong proponents for the top left and bottom right quadrants.

The genius who refuses to make an impact sits in the top left. They have huge talent and brilliant ideas but they are wasting their talent because they can’t get people to pay attention to their ideas. Worse, they almost refuse to get bigger attention because they insist that

  • “this is how our customers expect it”,
  • “WOW” is a trickster skill of the show-offs,
  • “getting attention” equals “click bait”, and
  • “great work will prevail”.

They’ll never make it to the top right.

In the bottom right sits the show-off who dazzles the audience but lacks substance. They are brilliant at getting their audience’s attention but leave them short of a profound insight. Worse, they almost refuse to make an impact because they insist that

  • “this is how it’s done”,
  • “how you say it is more important than what you say”,
  • “people are bored by the details”, and
  • “we need more bang”.

They’ll never make it to the top right, either.

Here’s the thing:

Without attention, people won’t hear your story.
Without substance, your story won’t make an impact.

The point is that this is not either-or. You need both.

WOW opens the mind. AHA changes the mind.

Keep lighting the path and make a bigger impact!

At the speaker’s mercy

As a speaker, you’re in the driver’s seat.
Which can be a problem for your audience.

If you drive too fast, they’ll miss the point.
If it’s too slow, they might fall asleep.
And if you choose a bumpy road,

they‘re probably not going to enjoy the ride.

Reading a book is different because the reader is in control of the pace with which they process the information.

They can slow down,
skip ahead,
flip a few pages back and
re-read some information.

In a speech, the audience can’t do any of that.
They’re at the speaker’s mercy.

As a speaker, being aware of that helps in making the ride more enjoyable and satisfying for your audience.

Keep in mind, though, that not everyone enjoys the same kind of ride. While some audiences love the feeling of a sports car, others prefer the feeling of a well-balanced limousine.

The Unlikely Speaker Rockstar

You don’t enjoy public speaking?
Well, many great speakers don’t, either!

This observation often surprises people. In both camps.

A friend of mine was baffled to learn that his peers considered him a truly gifted speaker – baffled because he didn’t enjoy the spotlight of a stage much and, as a consequence, thought he wasn’t good at it.

This scenario is more common than you might think. Some of the most compelling speakers are anything but seeking the spotlight.

Which is precisely why we enjoy their speeches so much.

They don’t show up to show off. They show up because they deeply care for what they do.

In other words, if advancing their cause means standing on a stage, then that’s what they’ll do. And if they do it, then they can just as well make good use of that time. My friend wasn’t chasing applause or trying to dazzle the audience. Instead, he aimed to lead listeners to a moment of clarity and understanding.

And that’s what his audience appreciated: The aha. (Did you ever notice how aha moments often come in silence?)

It’s a common misconception that to excel in public speaking, one must love the spotlight. It’s much more important that you love what you do and care deeply.

Have you met such a person?
Do you yourself enjoy standing on a stage?

Does it groove?

“I will not be thinking theory.”

Victor Wooten, a famous Jazz bassist, prefers groove over theory. For him, it’s obvious that when it grooves, the theory doesn’t matter.

Which doesn’t mean that Wooten wouldn’t know theory. Quite the opposite. He’s a great teacher who can explain in great detail why the groove grooves and what to do to make something groove.

But for him that theory is not the starting point. It’s a helping hand. Here’s how his quote continues:

“Theory only comes in if there is a problem. If I need it. Theory is a tool. And like riding in a car, the tools are in the trunk. They’re not in the passenger’s seat. I hope I never need the tools.”

Wooten doesn’t create a groove from theory.
He creates it from experience.
He creates it through exploration.

Theory is always there as a fix when he gets stuck.
But it’s not the starting point.

And that’s exactly what’s wrong with executive communication. It’s often formulaic because it relies heavily on the tools in the trunk.

The speeches that have been written by professional speech writers. The jargon that marketing agencies create. The strategy language that consultants have created.

These often originate in the theory.

The rhetorical devices? Eloquent, but often boring.
The fancy names? Cool, but intangible.
The clever structure? Smart, but not exactly exciting.

Which is why they don’t groove.
It’s only theory and no groove.

When you use these tools as a means to an end, it gets the order wrong. You’ll fit the narrative into the devices, rather than finding the device that fits the narrative.

You’ll have an argument that’s sound, but not groovy.

But groove is what creates change. If you want to move your team, your investors, your cusomters, they need to resonate with your words.

Groove creates resonance.
Groove creates movement.

If all else fails, try humor

You’re in a meeting room, the air is thick with unease, everyone’s on edge. It’s a heated debate and emotions fly high.

Basically, everyone’s waiting for the room to explode.

But then, out of nowhere, someone drops a perfectly timed joke. The kind that’s not just funny, but smart and relevant.

First, silence.

But suddenly, the room bursts with laughter.

The tension dissipates and what seemed like a dead end becomes a moment of connection.

In high-stress environments, a leader who can lighten the mood is more than just a breath of fresh air. They shift the dynamics and align the team back on the common path.

Humor, when used well, is a tool for engagement. It can release tension and foster a sense of camaraderie.

But here’s the catch: timing and fit are key. A well-timed joke can turn the tide, but a poorly timed one can sink the ship.

It’s also crucial to be respectful. If it’s at the expense of someone in the group, the joke is likely to backfire. But if it’s about yourself, or even “ourself”, it allows the group to look at the heated debate from a distance.

The better you read the room and understand the dynamics, the better you can deliver that punchline at just the right moment.

The person who can break tension with humor isn’t just funny; they’re invaluable. They create an environment where ideas flow freely, where people feel connected, and where the weight of the moment doesn’t feel quite so heavy.

Have you seen humor being used that way?

Being human

One of the fascinating aspects of AI is that it forces us to reconsider what “uniquely human” actually means.

For years, we’ve leveraged computers to handle tedious tasks, freeing us to engage in what machines can’t – being human. But as AI evolves and the lines continue to blur, what actually are those irreplaceable human qualities that define us? What is it that can’t be imitated by a computer?

When I connect with my loved ones over the holidays, I look forward to the spontaneous laughter, the shared stories, the warmth of empathy. These are experiences that still seem beyond the reach of an algorithm.

But what about you? In the dawn of the AI era, what does being human mean to you?

Cutting through the noise

It’s not about being the loudest voice in your space; it’s about being the voice that cuts through the noise.

Surprisingly often that’s the calm voice.

Unsurprisingly often it’s the clear, authentic, and unapologetically real voice.

Hidden gems

Headlines are the handshake before the conversation: We’re agreeing on an exchange of attention and value. You promise me value, I promise you my attention in return.

But.

It’s a 1-to-many contract: One headline, many readers. The better your promise, the more readers you will probably get.

That’s where click-bait enters the game. It’s attractive to promise big as that might lead many more readers to enter the contract.

Here’s the problem: Click-bait has given headlines that create attention such a bad rep that brilliant minds shy away from creating irresistible headlines because they don’t want to be associated with click-bait.

To the architects of “Hidden Gems”, listen up: your brilliance doesn’t belong buried. It’s not enough to be valuable; you have to be visible. Your insight? It’s meant to be seen. Your analysis? It’s there to be appreciated. So, it’s not about being louder; it’s about being clearer.

Your work deserves a marquee, not a footnote.

This isn’t about selling out; it’s about showing up. Don’t be deterred by the stigma of “Click-Bait” That’s not your game. You’re here to make “Impact”. You have something to say that’s worth hearing, so say it in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

Impact without attention can’t happen. So grab that attention. Your audience isn’t waiting for the next empty thrill, but for the content that changes the game. For the kind of value that stays with them long after the tab is closed.

Remember, the world’s most precious gems aren’t hidden; they’re on display for those who recognize their worth. It’s time yours took center stage.

Should Taylor Swift really perform at your product launch?

When you manage to get Taylor Swift to perform at your company press conference it will almost certainly get you a wow from your guests. But that’s no substitute for the resonance that your actual announcements do or do not create.

Tonight, Apple will stream their newest keynote. I found this piece by Alex Cranz interesting in which she observes:

No one else in the tech space has had the same success as Apple at getting people to treat their announcements as big events. Nearly every single major tech company has tried. Sony had Taylor Swift at a CES keynote, and Samsung marched out a member of BTS to applause at a Galaxy Unpacked event. Google had the Slo-Mo guys. Intel had dancers and acrobats festooned in LEDs. But something about an Apple event seems to resonate more with folks.

Here’s the thing: People don’t watch a tech announcement to see Taylor Swift. And there’s no aha effect in seeing dancers and acrobats perform. It might create attention and, thereby, “open the mind” of the viewers.

But it doesn’t change minds. It’s merely wow. But wow without aha is mostly harmless. Just look at all these hilarious ads. What was that ad about, again?

Apple understands its customers better than most. Their goal for the keynotes is not to wow them with random show acts. Apple wants to provide their fans with aha moments about the products they love.

These aha moments might not resonate with everyone, but that is precisely why Apple can strengthen their resonance with loyal fans. It’s an aha that’s not meant for everyone. But it’s an aha for their fans – often without any wow on top (I mean, how many of their latest keynotes were you blown away by? And yet, if you’re an Apple fan, you’re going to watch this one …).

If you feel like you need a star act to make your event appealing, perhaps it’s time to find the inherent value in your products … and the words that create strong resonance with the people who truly matter.

Did someone say “authentic”?

Reminder: Authenticity is in the eye of the beholder. It’s not your call, it’s theirs.

No matter how “authentic” you think you are, it’s their perception of your actions and words that counts: Do they perceive what you say and do as being consistent with how you say and do it?

Their perception is not in your full control – which is why I think that focusing on “authenticity” can lead you astray.

What’s in your control, though, is being true to your values and beliefs – which starts with getting clarity about those and being able to articulate them. Whether someone perceives that as “authentic” is a different question.

Spread the Word

Dr. Michael Gerharz

Dr. Michael Gerharz