President Obama’s recent speech on the Ft. Hood tragedy was a masterful display of rhetoric, crafted to match the gravity and respect the occasion demanded. Sometimes labeled “cool” in his persona and understated in his delivery, the killing of 13 individuals necessitated Obama turn up the heat and connect with the friends and family of the victims. While demonstrating warmth and compassion, he also needed to employ reasoned certainty and conviction to the American people. As communication specialists, we wrote the book Own the Room to address this type of challenge, in politics and in business. An emotionally charged moment in the history of a nation asks of its leader to calm our fears and defuse the desire to exact retribution. Obama reached into his playbook, to find the words he hoped would salve our wounds and allow us to come together as a nation.

In terms of balance, the speech was a blend of emotion and intellect. Obama spoke of the terrible sacrifice of the thirteen soldiers, but also emphasized the respect for due process and assured our nation that justice will be appropriately delivered. He took the time to humanize each of the fallen soldiers, including specific visual details. He shared how one played the guitar, another was born in Thailand, and yet another was pregnant with her first child and excited about becoming a new mother. By delivering a snapshot of their lives and expressing their aspirations and hopes, he elevated them in stature which made their deaths even more tragic. This neither idealized nor reduced them, but made us appreciate how similar they are to each of us, and how deep their loss is to their families.

In Own the Room, we stress the importance of including visual details so that audiences will ‘play the movie’ in their heads when listening to a speaker. Throughout his address, Obama included phrases like “blinding deserts” and “snowy mountains” to trigger our imagination and picture these images.

Clearly, President Obama is no stranger to rhetoric. Rather than delivering his message in a folksy or conversational tone, his speech reflects a familiarity with age-old speaking skills to motivate and inspire an audience. For example, the use of Tricolon (or triplicate) favored by the ancient Greeks and Roman orators is in evidence multiple times throughout his speech. As Americans, we are comforted with lists or phrases that are bunched in threes. It is pervasive throughout our culture—from nursery rhymes to church sermons. Obama used triplicate when he started three linked phrases with “every evening…”, “every dawn…” and “every moment…” He used the technique again with “in an age”… “in an era…” and “in a time…” And his final Tricolon (referring to the Marines) began with “They have served…”, “They have stood watch…” and “They have extended the opportunity of Government….” Repeating a phrase or trigger word three times has the incantatory, reverential quality that moves us. The device elevates language.
But including triplicates, visual details and a balance of emotion and intellect isn’t enough. In moments of great import, true leaders make us feel connected to a greater human community and ready to rally together. As our Chief Executive Officer, Obama crystallized the range of emotions we are feeling and made us proud to be Americans.

In a time when great stature is required, leaders need the skills of a statesman– not the paltry toolkit of a politician. Hackneyed phrases don’t move us. Polished delivery doesn’t inspire us. And defaulting to what’s safe and expected falls on deaf ears. President Obama needed to deliver balm to a grieving nation. He walked a verbal tightrope and the result was memorable.