The moment has stayed with me for years. Even after listening to 100’s of exceptional keynote speakers at National Speakers Association conventions.
The experience wasn’t a keynote. It wasn’t a standing ovation.
It was something much quieter.
Instead of sitting in the reserved section at the front of the room, the president stood at the back door of the general session ballroom.
Welcoming people. Introducing himself to first-timers. Creating moments most people would have missed.
That was John Molidor.
We recently lost John, and our industry lost a remarkable leader.
He served as president of the National Speakers Association and the Global Speakers Federation. He received our industries highest honor, the Cavett, and a leadership award bears his name.
But what I remember most is not his resume.
It is how he showed up.
John made time. He paused.
In a world that rewards speed, John modeled something different.
He slowed down enough to:
- Stand at the back of the room instead of the front
- Notice the first-timers
- Ask better questions
- Listen more than he spoke
- Create moments people would remember for decades
One of my favorite examples of this:
When asked, “What is your speaking focus?”
John would answer:
“Small engine repair.”
Most people never asked a follow-up question.
They just started talking about themselves.
Meanwhile, John would listen. Ask questions. Stay curious.
What they missed was this:
“Small engine repair” was his way of describing the brain. He was an expert in how the brain works.
He didn’t rush to be understood. He paused long enough to understand.
John was also a terrific ballroom dancer who taught my wife some dance moves we could work on together.
Always teaching.
Always mentoring.
There are a few leadership lessons I learned from John that still guide me today:
1. The best leaders don’t rush past people They pause long enough to truly see them.
2. Where you stand matters The biggest impact often happens where the spotlight is not.
3. Listening is a competitive advantage Most people listen to respond. Great leaders listen to understand.
4. Humility amplifies influence John never led with his title. He led with curiosity and kindness.
5. Pausing is not falling behind – it is getting ahead Clarity, connection, and growth all happen in the pause.
We live in a world that celebrates motion.
More meetings. More emails. More urgency.
But leadership is not just about how fast you move.
It is about how deeply you connect.
So here is the question I have been thinking about:
Where do you need to pause?
Because sometimes the most powerful thing a leader can do is slow down long enough to truly see, hear, and serve the people right in front of them.
Another great lesson, shared by a Speaker named Tim, who really does care about others. That is evident in the ways is is with his family and his extended family.