“If you tell a big enough lie
and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” —Adolf Hitler
During the global lockdown on
June 21, 2020, I viewed the movie ‘Hitler - A Career’ on Netflix to understand
Adolf Hitler’s strategy, leadership, and speaking style to share with my
readers. The movie is a long compilation of documentary footage. I read his autobiography
Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”) when I served as a corporal in the Indian Air
Force in 1988. I viewed some of his videos on speaking before I authored my award-winning
book on public speaking titled, ‘Secrets of Successful Public Speaking: How to
Become a Great Speaker.’ URL: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Successful-Public-Speaking-Speaker/dp/1628656107.
Adolf Hitler was a master
strategist, great orator, and an expert in the propagation of his ideals and ideas.
He had suicidal tendencies when he was young. He served in the German army as a
corporal. He exploited each crisis. He manipulated people with his rhetoric for
his political and ideological ends. He was impatient and hungry for power. He
was constantly on the move. He played double games. He made major decisions
when he was in the mountains. He felt
loneliness in the end.
Adolf Hitler—A Great Orator
No leader is entirely good
and no leader is entirely bad. There is always something to learn even from bad
leaders. Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933. He was an energetic and inspiring
speaker. He was a crowd captivator and knew how to mobilize masses. He talked
about national pride and persuaded his people in the name of nationalism. He knew
how to adapt to his audiences. He was an expert in body language and knew how
to give pauses to enable his audiences to understand the essence and applaud.
His content was crisp and communication was clear. He wrote his speeches and
edited them several times to drive home his ideologies and messages. He
rehearsed his prepared speeches, delivery, hand gestures, and body language. He
included animation to convey his ideologies emphatically. He took feedback from
his facial expressions, vocal expressions, and body expressions to improve his
oratory. He perfected the art and craft of public speaking by emphasizing
excellence. He created a unique brand by including in his speeches the words such
as “sword”, “fire”, and “blood” and he relied on symbolism, with metaphors such
as the eagle and swastika featuring heavily.
Emphasize Character, not
Charisma
Adolf Hitler was a
charismatic and visionary leader with a vision of 1000 years for Germany. But he
failed to accept the realities and refused to take feedback from his generals.
At times, he made poor decisions thus losing in World War II. As successes come
in battalions the failures also come in battalions. He enjoyed both successes
and failures one after another. He was unable to reconcile the failures that
came in battalions and committed suicide finally in 1945. He left behind a
shameful legacy for his nation.
Greatness comes from
character, not charisma. To conclude, emphasize the right means to achieve your
ends. Emphasize humanity and serve global societies to leave your everlasting
legacy.
"When you are in the
light, everything will follow you. But when you enter dark, even your own
shadow will not follow you, that is life.” —Adolf Hitler
References
Share if you care!
Life is great!
Professor
M.S. Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership
Consultants, India
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