Inauguration demonstrates precisely how effective leaders inspire change
My husband and I sat on the couch glued to the TV except for my run to Starbucks at 6:00 AM and his transport of our 2 and 5 year olds to daycare at 8:30 AM. While much will be written about the history and impact of the 59th inauguration of a US President, I saw it as a powerful demonstration of essential principles of leadership communication for change. Not only can future administrations learn from the example, but leaders of enterprises and organizations from all sectors can apply what the new administration created and delivered for a global audience.
Quick Primer on the Illuminate Model
My hands-down favorite model of communicating through a change comes from Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez’s 2016 book, Illuminate: Ignite Change through speeches, stories, ceremonies, and symbols.
Briefly Duarte and Sanchez provide a clear, iterative model of change based on the “S” curve of the product life cycle. They map a narrative arc to these five phases and provide examples of how to use speeches, stories, ceremonies and symbols at each phase of the venture. They describe a leader as a torchbearer, lighting the way for others to follow from a dream, to the leap, through fight and climb, then ultimately to arrive. The final phase then gives way to (re)dream for the next vision.
We can look at the inauguration as a threshold between arrival and (re)dream. Certainly the 2020 campaign was a hard fight and climb from the moment President Biden “leapt” into the race on April 25, 2019. Biden tirelessly campaigned through the fight and climb of the democratic primary, and then the scathing general election. This phase was drawn out even further by sixty court challenges of the results. But, if only for a day, Biden and Harris, were able to briefly enjoy “arriving” before (re)dreaming what’s next 100 days, the first term, the mid-terms. You choose.
While the entire inauguration was a ceremony, within it there were embedded clear examples of smaller ceremonies. We heard traditional speeches and stories, but also stirring songs and compelling poetry. Throughout the events we saw an array of symbols. In fact, the full inaugural period provided a rich case study of the Illuminate model for other leaders to adapt for their own change initiatives.
Speeches that inspire
Before looking at Joe Biden’s speech I’d prefer start with what many may not think of as speeches. He carefully chose Jesuit Fr. Leo J. O’Donovan, III, to deliver the opening invocation and Rev. Dr. Silvester S. Beaman, of the AME church in Wilmington for the closing benediction. These spiritual leaders, both friends of President Biden for decades, spanned his Roman Catholic roots and his commitment to racial justice. The pledge of allegiance led by Firefighter Andrea Hall was both spoken, and delivered in American Sign Language, a compelling and inclusive choice for words many Americans memorized as children and recite by rote without much thought. Her ASL interpretation brought a dynamic new element to the pledge for me.
We witnessed three superstars perform songs: Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez , and Garth Brooks. Each relied on their distinctive style and approach, but were accompanied by the traditional Marine band, a fitting mix of new and old. Yet it was 22 year old Amanda Gorman whose original poem, “The Hill We Climb” left the most indelible impact on millions of us.
Chills ran up my spine listening to her original poetry within the ceremony. The entire text provides a brilliant narrative and the stunned live audience never once dared break her cadence with applause. Including references to the musical Hamilton and ties all the way back to George Washington she used her moment in the sun to remind us that the world we leave to our children needs to be better than we found it, not worse. Later I learned that the section including the phrase: “while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated” was written late on the night of January 6 after the riots at the very Capitol where she now stood.
With possibly a throwback to the 1960 JFK inaugural Gorman posed the powerful question to us all: “so while once we asked ‘how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?’ now we assert ‘how could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?’” (A dear colleague informed me this figure of speech is known as a chiasmus.) Then, reflecting the encouraging speeches advocated in Illuminate this young torchbearer closed with:
“The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman
This prophetic poet, the youngest person to have ever participated in an inauguration, shined a light on the next part of the journey ahead for the leaders on the platform, and for all of us.
Stories that inform
Within President Biden’s 21 minute speech I fully expected some classic “stories from Joe” that we came to see on the campaign trail and as vice president. However, he provided only small narratives to support his points. Relying on the story of Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the emancipation proclamation some 158 Januaries earlier where he said, “My whole soul is in it.” Biden called back to this moment and committed that, like his predecessor, saying “Today, my whole soul is in this.”
The 46th president was very efficient with his use of language striking a remarkable balance between plainspoken conversation and soaring rhetoric. Without being adversarial, he acknowledged the challenges we face as a nation and the triumph his election and inauguration signal indicating we are entering “the winter of peril and infinite possibilities.” The line, “Democracy has prevailed” may be the best synthesis of his message. He actually spent more time addressing those who did not support him than he did those who helped elect him. At one point requesting:
“Hear me out as we move forward.Take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy… Yet hear me clearly — disagreement must not lead to disunion.” President Joe Biden
Yet he punctuated his speech with brief stories of his own parents and our national history. He gave only a one line mention of the January 6 riots at the Capitol, but shared a story of another incident I had not known before when he said: “Here we stand where 108 years ago at another inaugural thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today we mark the swearing in of the first woman in American history, elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris. Don’t tell me things can’t change.” He showed that stories do not have to be long and complex, but that a strong narrative style can permeate the entire speech.
Ceremonies that illustrate
From the evening before and throughout the entire day of the inauguration we saw a historic ceremony punctuated by smaller ceremonial elements: Biden departing from Wilmington, inviting fellow leaders to join him for a private Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral, visiting Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier with his predecessors Obama, Bush, and Clinton. Yet two rituals in particular underscored the message of his new presidency in graphic ways. Both were primarily silent. On Tuesday evening he and Vice President Harris (and their spouses) held a vigil for the 400,000 Americans who’ve died in the past year due to COVID-19. Between sundown and dusk the two couples faced the reflecting pool nearly alone taking in the lights commemorating those we’ve lost to the disease.
And while Biden’s immediate predecessor chose not to attend the inauguration, Vice President Pence did so. Once the inauguration formally ended on the West Steps of the U. S. Capitol, a small cadre of house and senate leaders from both parties reassembled on the East Steps. Then, from the center doors, appeared the now former Vice President Pence and current Vice President Harris. Along with their spouses they descended the steps together before bidding each other what appeared to be a gracious and warm farewell. This simple ceremonial act, for me, carried so much meaning. It hearkened back to previous inaugurations and a spirit of collegiality that so many believe has been missing. In its warmth and simplicity it illustrated what’s possible again for our nation.
Symbols that illuminate
My entire piece could have only covered the rich number of symbols in today’s event. As a presidential trivia buff since the age of four, when my dad took me to Eisenhower’s funeral, I’ve always been drawn to the rituals and symbols that accompany our democratically elected leaders. I did not dare touch my iPhone during the ceremony, but I did search the phrase “Inauguration Bibles” as soon as it ended. I learned that Biden’s was an 1893 family bible that he’s used in every swearing in throughout his long political career. Harris was loaned a bible that once belonged to the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. The two share Howard University as their Alma Mater, but also being “firsts” as African Americans in public service at a national level.
But the hopeful symbols that highlighted the current pandemic were particularly effective in supporting the message of optimism within a crushing crisis. 400 lanterns were lit the evening before on the now closed national mall each signifying 1,000 lives lost to COVID-19. By day you could see 200,000 US flags where audience members would have stood during any other year. As Patti Sanchez shared with me: “all of those glowing lanterns and fluttering flags symbolizing the people who were absent but not forgotten and whose dreams our new leaders promise to honor and champion.”
And symbols can be combined with all of the other elements in the toolkit. For example Amanda Gorman wore a ring with a caged bird, a gift from Oprah Winfrey for the occasion, to symbolize Maya Angelou who delivered her poem, On the Pulse of the Morning, in 1993 at Bill Clinton’s inauguration. I suspect there are scores if not hundreds of similar symbols and stories for many of the public servants and performers at the inauguration.
And even small acts like “elbow bumps” between leaders or the meticulous sanitizing of the lectern between each speaker symbolized the behavior the new administration will expect of all citizens as the pandemic enters its second year. Ken and I searched in the crowd and never once found an attendee without a mask. It was both sobering and refreshing to see such a consistent, symbolic, yet very real image of role modeling for us all.
As a communications coach and educator I devoured the day as a rich demonstration of all that I strive to teach the leaders with whom I interact. Capturing my experience and applying it to Duarte and Sanchez Illuminate framework served to underscore the enduring power of their work. They write:
Leaders always see a better future before anyone else does. Their challenge is to inspire people to go after it. That takes creativity, tenacity, and very thoughtful communication. Nancy Duarte & Patti Sanchez
Regardless of your party affiliation I hope you can see the intentional quality of the speeches, ceremonies, stories, and symbols of our national transition of power today. Few of us will ever face the daunting challenges the new administration must address, but we can all learn from the 59th inauguration as we ignite change in our own organizations and communities.
For nearly two decades JD Schramm has taught communication to the next generation of leaders from Stanford, Columbia, and NYU. In 2020 Wiley published his first book, Communicate with Mastery: speak with conviction and write for impact. He’s currently an independent communication coach and trainer working with a wide range of firms. His proteges have spoken at TED, Davos, the Aspen Ideas Festival, South by Southwest, and beyond. The challenging events of this past year now have him discerning what his next chapter may be professionally. He and his husband, the Rev. Ken Daigle, live in San Francisco with their three children. He can be reached by email at jd@jdschramm.com.
