Late night shows have been a fixture in the television industry for decades. Each late night brand has its own legacy, a tradition of both form and structure and, of course, personality. There appear to be a variety of ways to successfully anchor a late night show, but principle among them is this: be unique.
The unforgivable sin in late night television, and in presentations, is to have a forgettable perspective on things. Late night hosts and presenters have this in common: as individuals, they carry the burden of an entire brand on their shoulders. They also have this in common: for every one of them on camera or on stage, there are many, many others who would happily take their place in a heartbeat.
Job security—and job success—for these individuals hinges on building an unshakeable brand based on point of view. With every performance they consolidate their position as the de facto founder and inventor of this “brand”, which turns competitors into impostors and, thus, further insulates and immortalizes them, in a way.
It’s not enough, as a presenter, to be the hardest worker. It’s not enough to be smart. It’s not even enough to be successful. Relatively speaking, lots of people are all of the above. The reason they want to hear from you is because you have that intangible quality we all pine for: a paradigm changing perspective that challenges our assumptions and revolutionizes our understanding of the world around us.
Sure, you can give presentations without this quality. But if you’re looking for true influence from the stage, it’s that unique point of view more than anything else that will become your brand and, over time, your legacy.
There’s no simple recipe for developing a point of view, but we can tell you this: the critical starting point is having a level of discernment about your subject matter that allows you to understand both the status quo and the ideal destination for your audience. If you know the commonly held beliefs, and you know where everyone needs to be going, your insights become a point of view that is dear to all who want to get there, too.
Question: Is your point of view truly unique?
