Book
For leaders, teams, and anyone who knows that how you speak is how you lead.
Speakership Is Leadership is a guide to growing your presence, clarity, and voice in moments that matter.
Through short chapters, real stories, and practical tools, you’ll learn how to:
- Speak with confidence—even when your nerves are screaming at you to sit down
- Start strong so people actually listen
- Recover when things go sideways
Drawing on real moments—family dynamics, work challenges, TEDx speakers backstage—this book shows what communication growth actually looks like when it counts.
Whether you’re leading a team, navigating change, or just trying to say what you mean to the people who matter, this book meets you where you are.
Many teams use it as a shared tool for group development, retreat reading, or leadership onboarding.
Because when we have the right words, we lead with more courage, clarity, and trust.
This book is for you if…
- You’re suddenly the leader—and everyone’s actually listening now
- You never quite know how to start (or when you’re ready)
- You’re clear on what you want to say, but it doesn’t land
- A tough question rattled you and you never got back on track
- You froze in a moment that mattered
Reviews
One of the Best and Most Practical Books on Public Speaking – Highly Recommend! “Speakership is Leadership” by Margaret Watts Romney is truly a game-changer for anyone looking to step onto a stage with confidence and purpose. After reading this book, I can genuinely say—I feel ready to present my talk at conferences! Margaret’s guidance doesn’t just cover what to say, but how to lead through speaking, turning every presentation into a powerful connection with your audience. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just starting out, I highly recommend adding this to your reading list. Margaret doesn’t just teach you how to speak—she empowers you to lead every time you do.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Margaret and dive into her book, Speakership is Leadership, as part of my journey to enhance my public speaking skills. My goal is to become the most relaxed person in the room while speaking, and Margaret’s book has proven to be an invaluable tool in helping me get there. What sets Speakership is Leadership apart is its emphasis on storytelling. Margaret brings stories to life, making complex speaking techniques accessible through practical, real-world examples. Each chapter is filled with insights and hands-on advice that have already started to reshape how I approach the art of speaking.
A great tool for one’s leadership tool box. Speakership is Leadership has been a fantastic tool for me on my journey as a “sudden leader”, I would even go as far as to say a reluctant leader. After working my way through each chapter and each reflection exercise I have found a starting place for my voice. Before this book, public speaking was terrifying for me, the anxiety was crippling. I can now speak in public meetings without the racing heart and feeling of impending doom. Speakership is Leadership will stay in my tool box as I develop and grow as a leader and speaker.
How to use the power of your voice Full of practical advice and interesting anecdotes, Margaret’s book will show you how to use the power of your voice and shine a bright light for others.
Strengthen Your Leadership through the Power of Authentic Communication with this book! “Speakership is Leadership” by Margaret Watts Romney resonated deeply with me. As someone who values honest communication and strives to be a better leader, I found her insights truly inspiring. Margaret emphasizes that the true essence of leadership lies in our ability to speak with sincerity, confidence, and compassion—qualities I aspire to continually develop in my professional and personal life. The stories and practical advice advocate influencing others positively; Margaret’s writing style lets you ‘live in the moment’ and hear the voice of the characters – something that is deeply impactful and rare in this genre of books. This book reinforced for me that effective speaking isn’t just about words, but about leading with integrity and purpose.
Keynotes with Margaret Watts Romney
Where Story Becomes Strategy—and Communication Becomes Leadership
Whether you’re planning a leadership retreat, team offsite, or conference, Margaret delivers keynotes that help your people think differently about how they show up and speak up.
Her interactive talks focus on what leadership actually requires: picturing what’s next, showing up with presence, communicating clearly, and making it happen together.
With story, science, and grounded delivery, Margaret creates sessions people remember and use. Keynotes can pair with workshops, follow-up tools, or book bundles to keep the momentum going.
1. Speak to Lead: Your Ultimate
Guide to Everyday Influence
Theme: Leading without a title, guiding with your voice
Best for: Individual contributors, growing teams, rising leaders
At some point, we’re all asked to lead—even without the title. Guiding a meeting, advocating for a client, redirecting a tense family moment. Your words shape what happens next.
This keynote introduces Speakership: using your voice to influence others with clarity and care. You’ll explore what it means to step into leadership through your words—and why stories are how our brains naturally make sense of things.
Takeaways:
- A three-tier lens on leadership: Emerging, Engaged, and Elevated
- How story shapes safety, trust, and real influence (with bonus neuroscience!)
- Practical tools to lead with calm authority—even on the fly
Ideal when: your audience is full of thoughtful contributors who want to speak up and lead more
effectively in work and life.
2. Story as a Tool for Connection and Clarity
Theme: How story helps us lead with vision, build trust, and say what matters
Best for: Executives, managers, sales, and partnership teams—anyone who works with people
Leaders are always asking others to move toward something new. But too often, we jump into explaining our ideas before people even know where we’re going—or why it matters.
This keynote offers a shift: instead of trying to explain more, learn to guide others through a story. Leadership as narrative navigation.
Using simple story structure and brain science, your group will learn how to name what’s happening now, share a clear vision, and speak in ways that build trust and momentum.
Takeaways
- A simple way to explain your ideas so people get them and remember them
- How to tell the story of your work in a way that invites trust and partnership
- Why story helps people say yes—on teams, in presentations, and with clients
Ideal when: You want clearer communication, stronger collaboration, and deeper trust.
3. Presence Is the First Message
Theme: Grounded confidence and visible leadership
Best for: Leaders in transition, visibility moments, introverts in leadership
Before you say a word, your presence has already spoken.
This keynote dives into how leaders can show up with calm authority in high-stakes, messy, or visible moments—without “performing” leadership. Margaret shares real-world examples, science-backed techniques, and mindset shifts for finding your footing and leading from your center.
Takeaways:
- How body language influences others—and your own nervous system
- Tools to regulate, reset, and refocus in the moment
- A new definition of confidence: clarity, not control
Ideal when: your leaders need presence that’s grounded, not performative.
