Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa
are among the most respected,
accomplished, beloved and
admired figures in history—and
they all share one common trait,
O’Neill says. It’s not physical size
or brute strength. After all, Mother
Teresa stood less than 5 feet, and
FDR was crippled by polio.
Great leaders have inner
bigness in common, according to
O’Neill, who aspires to achieve it
and asks her audiences to do the
same. In the speaking industry, for
example, NSA members continue
to uphold the legacy of founder
Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE.
“Those people exhibit
behaviors and qualities of
greatness,” O’Neill says. “They
have integrity and fortitude—the
ability to work through challenges
and also be formed by them. They
have honesty, sincerity, generosity
compassion and wisdom. When
I talk about inner bigness, I am
talking about the idea that every
person has the capacity to unveil
these qualities within themselves.”
She gets her audiences to
believe it, too, through her
unique speaking style—and by
leveraging her short stature.
When O’Neill speaks, there’s
some humor. Some tears, too.
O’Neill cannot hide who she
is. But while her coming-of-age
stories ultimately revolve around
her stature, the lessons derived
from those experiences can apply
to anyone.
“When I take the stage, the
first thing I say is, ‘Size matters,’”
O’Neill says. “And you know
what? The audience immediately
laughs. They know I have a sense
of humor about my size, and it
brings some lightheartedness to a
situation that maybe is weighing
heavily on them. Next, I try
to emphasize the congruency
between how I am on the inside
and what I’m saying on the
outside. If I’m talking about
‘inner bigness’ but feel afraid,
people would pick up on that.
They wouldn’t respond to me.”
In a sense, O’Neill uses herself
as a metaphor for her message
about overcoming challenges,
defeating self-doubt, increasing
self-esteem and discovering and
accepting one’s inherent beauty.
The formula hits home with
school children and CEOs alike
because her audiences know she
really lives her message. She may
be a successful speaker but, at the
end of the day, she’s still a little
person. The same challenges she’s
faced her whole life are the same
challenges she’ll face for the rest
of her life.
“My biggest challenge is my
biggest perk. I try to get people
to re-think the way they view
little people. Many wonder what
a little person can teach them.
Overcoming that condescension
has been an ongoing challenge
for me.”
Tim Hyland has been a professional writer for more than a decade. His work has appeared in numerous
publications, including Fast
Company, Philadelphia City Paper
and Philadelphia Life. Hyland lives in
Flourtown, Pa., and can be reached at
timothyhyland@gmail.com.
Walk Tall in
Tough Times
The faltering economy hasn’t
been good for anyone. Not the
folks on Wall Street, nor the folks
on Main Street—and certainly
not for speakers.
While O’Neill understands
that speakers would prefer
to be working, downtime
provides opportunities to work
on their inner bigness. You can
start by asking:
How is this downturn
helping me learn and grow?
What quality can I develop
by working through this
challenge?
Can I hone my speaking and
marketing skills?
Do I have compassion
for others who are also
struggling?
Speakers can achieve inner
bigness by answering these
questions and accepting
challenges, even when times
are tough.
“People are inspired by
people with big character,”
O’Neill says. “They want to be
like them and be around them.
Inner bigness increases your
power of attraction.”
