Imagine standing before thousands of the world’s brightest minds, sharing the most vulnerable moments of your life.
The idea makes most of us tremble, but that’s just what J.K. Rowling did in her unforgettable 2018 Harvard Commencement Address.
Before she was an online controversy magnet, Rowling made waves with this soaring graduation speech, which is surely one of the greatest of all time.
In this article, we uncover how Rowling masterfully used her own life experiences to teach valuable lessons in resilience and imagination. We’ll explore what communicators can learn from her speech, including the power of storytelling and being vulnerable with your audience.
Be Vulnerable
Rowling wasn’t always a global success story. In fact, she wrote much of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Edinburgh cafés, barely getting by on government support checks. (She’s not alone in this experience. Most beginning writers make hardly any money at all!)
By candidly sharing her own experiences with failure, including her brief marriage, monetary issues, and struggles as a single mother, Rowling uses her own past vulnerability to build a strong connection with her audience. It’s much easier to relate to a struggling writer than to a billionaire, but Rowling finds and uses common ground to connect with her listeners.
Likewise, through the use of personal stories, communicators can create a sense of honesty and authenticity. If you can risk yourself and be vulnerable with your audience, you will find them much more receptive to your message—just as Rowling did in her inspirational graduation speech.
Share Your Failures
Failure is an inevitability for all of us, whether in the workplace, at school, or in our personal relationships. The only question is how we will respond.
In Rowling’s case, hitting rock bottom allowed her to focus on her writing, ultimately leading to her success. She takes care in her Commencement Address to stress that failure is not the end but a new beginning, offering a chance to chart a new life course.
In her case, that new life course resulted in global fame and fortune—but more importantly, it also resulted in Rowling’s own personal growth. And that’s a story that resonates, because failure is a story that everyone can relate to.
It’s hard to publicly share our failures, but per Rowling’s advice, communicators should not shy away from discussing their own past disappointments. Instead, they should highlight how these negative experiences have shaped their journey and message for the better.
Foster Empathy
At the Commencement Address, Rowling speaks on the power of imagination – not just in creativity, but in understanding others’ experiences. Her time at Amnesty International, witnessing the suffering of others first hand, profoundly impacted her views on empathy and storytelling.
For marketers, imagination can be a powerful tool in communication, enabling leaders to connect with their audience on a deeper level and inspire innovative thinking.
Create Emotional Engagement
Throughout her speech, Rowling uses storytelling to convey her points, making her message memorable and impactful. Her anecdotes about her time at college and her early career struggles are particularly effective, because they are not only relatable but have emotional impact.
As in her books, Rowling takes her audience on a rollercoaster emotional journey, but it’s that sense of emotional engagement that gives her points their sticking power. We feel sorry for her early failures, but we also celebrate her later success. By connecting with us on an emotional level, Rowling encourages us to become invested in her story.
Great communicators use stories to illustrate their messages, making complex ideas more accessible and engaging. If you can convey your messages through invoking a greater narrative, you will reach your audience on a deeper emotional level—and if you’ve done it well, you might even have them coming back for more.
Inspire Your Audience
Although Rowling’s books are full of whimsical charm, her speech touches upon the more sobering, even gruesome realities of our world. But more importantly, it inspires us to rise above them.
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