People must take individual and collective responsibility for the accomplishments and failures of their organizations or governments if those organizations are to thrive. The unmistakable conclusion of contemporary social research is that people are eager to commit. They are truly starved to connect with competent, trustworthy leaders. Concurrent with the growth of cynicism, expanded media influence and the growing authority of professional image makers have combined to exacerbate the problem, to distance leaders from the people who can make them successful. Speaking is a vital part of leadership, and though we know intuitively that the power of speaking comes from authentic conviction, we increasingly evaluate speeches by their cosmetic appeal rather than their effectiveness at moving listeners to committed action.
Most speakers are content with the superficial criteria because they seem easier to master.
Doing a technically good speech seems much more concrete and simpler than being authentic and powerful. Listeners are content with surface criteria because they are reluctant truly to engage with a leader who is advocating change. It is much easier to find fault or to praise technique than it is to entertain the possibility of personally acting to alter a familiar existence and move into a new future. And finally, communication professionals find it difficult to coach or direct a speaker in a way that will bring conviction to the front, enabling expression from both the head and the heart. Loud is written as a tool for speakers and communication professionals to bridge the gap between symbolic and substantive speaking.