Episode 48

Donald Robertson | What we can learn about public speaking and Stoic philosophy from the great Marcus Aurelius

What does stoic philosophy have to do with public speaking and presentations? More than you'd think.

I recently read 'How to think Like A Roman Emperor' by an expert in stoic philosophy Donald Robertson. It surprised me that he wrote a fair bit about orators and rhetoric of the sophists and how public speaking was an essential leadership tool in ancient Greece and Rome for those in positions of power, especially an emperor. It's not so different today. The ability to persuade and influence still lies largely with those who speak from some kind of stage.

I asked Donald if he'd be willing to be a guest on my show and to my surprise, he readily agreed. I learned a lot from our conversation, as will you, I'm sure. I know I will be referring back to this conversation for a long time to come, as we discussed so many areas, like decatastrophising our thinking, cognitive behavioural therapy, hyperbole in modern life and a number of other profound areas.

I highly recommend Donald's book 'How to think like a Roman Emperor' and have previously published a book review for it on my YouTube channel. On his own website, Donald has several courses and many materials you can check out to bring a little more capital S Stoicism into your life and philosophy. https://donaldrobertson.name/

I encourage you to check out Donald's Facebook group on Stoicism, which is where I first encountered him https://www.facebook.com/groups/Stoicism

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. If you'd like to catch the video version on YouTube, here's the link https://youtu.be/YKNbD_TvZHQ and please like and subscribe the channel whilst you're there.

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Present Influence
The podcast that helps professional communicators learn the skills that increase influence, impact and authority.

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About your host

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John Ball

John Ball is a keynote coach and professional speaker on a mission to help upcoming leaders master their communication, create impact and stand out as experts in their field.
John left the high life of his flying career to do something more meaningful to him and has since worked with several leading personal and professional development organisations as a lead coach and trainer.
The heart of everything John does involves helping people shift to personal responsibility and conscious awareness of how they show up and perform in every situation, whilst equipping them with the tools to be exceptional.
John also co-hosts The Coaching Clinic Podcast with his great friend and colleague Angie Besignano.
He lives in the beautiful city of Valencia, Spain with his husband and often visits the UK and US for speaking and training engagements. When he's not speaking or podcasting, he's likely to be out swimming, kayaking or enjoying time with friends.

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