Talking the talk

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A SUCKER FOR MOTIVAtional speakers. Part storytellers, part pop psychologists and modern philosophers, the best ones mostly offer hope and tips

Whether the topic is heat treating or hydraulics, meeting and conference planners seem compelled to put these folks on the stage. After a morning cooped up in technical presentations or business meetings, we need something to get our hearts beating again. It generally works. Like all entertainers, these professionals have a knack for engaging the audience.

"I think I could have run a factory, and I think you could have coached Notre Dame," said Lou Holtz, national champion college football coach, at an INDUSTRYWEEK conference several years ago. "What an awesome responsibility it is for you to have to help motivate people to reach success. I can't think of a more demanding job, one that utilizes every talent and ability you have. You have to be a father, a mother. You have to be a counselor. You have to be an educator. You have to be a psychologist. You have to be a teacher. Every talent that an individual could possibly use comes into your job the same as it does in coaching."