Q&A: Champion speaker answers some rhetorical questions

From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian

One of the keynote speakers at this year’s Rotary International Convention in Korea will be Dananjaya Hettiarachchi, the founder and CEO of a human resources development and communications firm in Sri Lanka. In addition to being a much-sought-after motivational speaker, trainer, and executive coach, Hettiarachchi holds claim to a title that many seek but few attain: world champion of public speaking.

In 2014, Hettiarachchi bested some 33,000 competitors from around the world to become the first Asian-born winner of the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking, which began in 1938. In his championship speech, “I See Something,” Hettiarachchi recounted how he reversed the course of a troubled youth and got on a path to success after being introduced to a mentor who told him, “I see something in you, but I don’t know what it is.”

THE ROTARIAN: Will it be a special challenge to speak at the Rotary Convention? Have you decided on a topic?

HETTIARACHCHI: More than a challenge, it will be a privilege. Since speaking is what I do day in and day out, it is an opportunity that I look forward to. I have focused on a broader theme of bringing out the leader in you first and how, during that process, you could contribute more toward the people around you and society at large.

TR: What are the essential elements of a good speech?

HETTIARACHCHI: One of the most important elements is to be authentic. Your voice is as unique as your fingerprint. Your voice, tone, rate, pitch, and volume tell who you are. People need to buy in to you before they buy in to what you’re saying or selling.