Can you stir an audience? Persuade them to go your way? If you can, you have a heavy responsibility. For your ability to play upon human emotions must be directed toward worthy goals, to justify the good meaning of leadership. You will use your eloquence, therefore, only in a positive and never in a negative way. You will urge your followers to work in harmony—to think more often about things of the spirit—to be more thoughtful of others—to make the most of their abilities.
On the other hand, if you do not possess the power to sway an audience, you will want to work hard to become a persuasive speaker. For the higher you go, the more often you will be called upon to make formal speeches, especially speeches of inspiration. Indeed, in the world of work, the inspirational type of speech is expected of the leader. He finds it a useful way to crystallize the thinking of his group. He discovers that inspiration moves men in the way they should go.
~ James F. Bender, The Technique of Executive Leadership (1950)
