S tepping into the Mayor ’ s office at City Hall , I see a stack of giant ceremonial checks and awards leaning against a wall , likely artifacts from recent events the he had attended . Uneven piles of papers and binders crowd all but a small workspace on his desk , and his suit jacket hangs from the back of the office door . There is no pretense here , no showy display of power , just the sense that this is where work gets done .
In addition to managing the fourth largest city in the U . S ., Turner speaks at 15 to 25 events a month . Only 10 minutes before sitting down to talk with me , he finished delivering a televised message outlining the city ’ s measures to combat the growing threat of the Zika virus . Although he has a lot on his mind , the Mayor greets me warmly and gives me his full attention , which is a mark of a great communicator .
During the 26 years Turner served in the Texas Legislature before being elected Houston ’ s mayor , he earned a reputation for being a unifier and a passionate orator . He won praise from colleagues on both sides of the aisle for his ability to “ turn the House with logic and good argument ” ( Rep . John Smithee ). As our meeting continues , I can see why this is true .
Our conversation soon turns to the lessons he has learned over the years about how to connect with diverse audiences and what it means to be an effective speaker .
Reveal Yourself
Mayor Turner begins to speak , and I wisely choose to listen :“ People need to know who you are and what you stand for before you can talk about issues . If you speak with passion and authenticity , you ’ re in a better position to be persuasive . I believe people have the ability to sense your true heart . Past your words , they can sense your passion .”
“ Your audience must sense your position ; they need to see that you believe in what you ’ re saying .”
“ I don ’ t want to divorce myself from my background . I talk about what I believe by telling people my story . Sharing your story is important because it ’ s your story that shapes your
beliefs . People should be able to say , ‘ This is what this guy believes .’”
Draw on Commonalities
During the nation ’ s push for desegregation , a young Sylvester Turner was in the first group of black students to be bused to an all-white high school under a court order .
“ Fights in the hallways were common for the first couple of years ,” he recalls , “ but four years later that same student body elected me their class president .” How was that possible ? Turner explains , “ When parents stand out of the way , commonalities bring children together .”
The Mayor offers his advice for building a connection with an au-
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