Thinking Out Loud

Perhaps one of my more time saving skills includes my ability (or insistence) on single take videos for school. Admittedly, this was not a skill I set out to learn or master. In fact, I remember actively avoiding situations where I had to give a formal, prepared speech. My senior year in high school at Baylor I chose not to do a senior speech, even though I felt completely comfortable speaking in dorm meetings, small group settings, and asking questions in class. The idea of writing, preparing, and delivering a speech in a structured format felt too intimidating. What I didn’t realize then was that my natural ability to speak off the cuff was a gift in itself.

At some point in my career, I recognized that I could think while I spoke—a skill that I now recognize not everyone has (or at least hasn’t tapped into yet). Give me a topic, and I can talk about it, shape my thoughts in real-time, and still sound coherent. Maybe it was that intro to theater class in my second semester of senior year that helped me develop this ability. Maybe I already had it and just gained confidence there. Whatever the case, I found that I came across as much more authentic and engaging when I spoke without relying on notes.

As my roles within schools have grown in responsibility and visibility, I’ve had to tweak my approach. The setting and gravity of the speech—whether it’s a video, an in-person talk, a small or large group, or a formal versus informal event—all influence how I prepare.

Often, I’ve talked about a topic so much that I know it inside and out. In those cases, I can speak about it naturally with very little preparation. Other times, I create an outline to give structure to what I’m saying without committing to exact lines or phrases. This way, I maintain clarity while allowing room for spontaneity and authenticity.

After four years as a head of school and countless videos, speeches, talks, and impromptu speaking opportunities, I’ve developed a rather signature “single-take” style. When I record videos, I almost always do them in one take. Are they perfect? Definitely not. But they are genuine, they convey the message I want to share, and they are structured enough for the audience to follow easily.

I’ve realized that authenticity beats perfection every time. You can gain a whole lot from your audience through the power of strategic pauses (and more of them than you think). And your genuine voice is more powerful than any well crafted speech.