Succeed at being yourself in crowd

Rick Rothacker

rrothacker@charlotteobserver.com

For years, Ty Boyd used his speaking ability as a talk show host on WBT radio and television.

Now, he teaches those skills to executives at Fortune 500 and other companies around the world. For the past 27 years, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems has offered public speaking and presentation skills to customers from more than 40 countries.

The Charlotte-based firm has a staff of six, plus outside consultants, professors and others who do part-time work for the firm. Boyd, 75, serves as chief executive, while his wife of 47 years, Pat, holds the title of president.

The Observer talked to Boyd last week about his business, the skills he teaches and working with family. Answers are edited for clarity and length.

Q. What are the challenges of operating overseas?

Going overseas has been a real plus for our business. We have been to Asia, Australia and Europe. Our courses are usually delivered in several-day modules. We'll get there a little early to play and to get our bodies ready. Most of the multinational companies we work with have foreign nationals, but they speak English as a second language. Except a few cultural things, i.e. eye contact or how close to stand to someone, the rules are the same for everyone.

Q. What are you teaching executives?

We teach one thing: Passion. Martin Luther King had passion. Bill Clinton. Ronald Reagan. A great leader doesn't have to be a great presenter, but you do need to be an effective communicator.

Q. You work mostly with Fortune 500 companies. Do these skills translate to smaller companies?

Absolutely. They are just as effective. The tools are passion, eye contact, voice inflection, empathy and so forth. Passion would be the No. 1 tool. Eye contact No. 2. Listening would be the overall important skill. People we teach learn to be themselves. We strip away the veneer and let out the real person.

Q. How do you lead your own company?

We use the group method. I'm not sure I'm a great leader, but I've learned to listen to people in our shop. Most of our employees are family, including two of our daughters. Pat and I are in the business, and a lot of people have been with us for a long time.

Q. What do you look for in employees?

I would hire first for attitude. And you have to be willing to hire people who are smarter than you.

Q. What's it like working with your spouse?

A lot of our pillow talk is business talk. Pat is much more direct than I am and has a good business sense. I seek her advice. We occasionally have conflicts on some things, but generally we pretty much think alike. The years we have worked together have been the best years of our marriage and our life. I don't know if everyone can do it, but I recommend everyone try it.