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Introduction: A Rhetoric of Suffering

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The Four Speeches Every Leader Has to Know

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Abstract

The opening chapter offers an introduction to the art of speaking well through an innovative view on leadership which highlights the importance of interpreting suffering. Using a wide range of examples, the book offers practical help for the leader who leads through speaking. The chapter presents three fundamental claims that define the art of speaking for a leader: (1) every leader is a speaker; (2) life as suffering; and (3) every speech is a story of life. Based on these three claims, we argue that there are four speeches every leader has to know—the opening speech, the executioner speech, the consolation speech, and the farewell speech.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Theology, Religion and Philosophy, NLA University College, Bergen, Norway

    Bård Norheim & Joar Haga

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  1. Bård Norheim
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  2. Joar Haga
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Correspondence to Joar Haga .

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Norheim, B., Haga, J. (2020). Introduction: A Rhetoric of Suffering. In: The Four Speeches Every Leader Has to Know. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19974-6_1

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