We’ve put together 10 example 3-minute speech outlines for CEO seminar instructors. These are concise and effective speeches that will help you prepare your speech. It’s a practical resource to help anyone present with confidence.

We want you to have a great staff

What is the image of a chief of staff that we need in the 21st century? We are entering an era where the traditional master-servant relationship no longer works. The relationship between leaders and their staff is transforming into a new one based on complementary and creative collaboration, rather than simply a hierarchy of superiors and subordinates. In the midst of these changes, what should a true chief of staff look like?
In the modern world, driven by Western values and the digital information revolution, the chief of staff is becoming more than just an enabler, but a critical partner in driving the success of the leader – sometimes even more so than the leader. The loyalty of the chief of staff, and the true role of the chief of staff, remains an important question. But what is a chief of staff, and is their loyalty real?
We can ponder the importance of chief of staff through the figure of Stephen Ballmer, who was Bill Gates’ closest colleague and chief of staff. Ballmer joined Microsoft in 1980 as the company’s 28th employee, and in less than 20 years, he played a crucial role in building the company into one of the world’s largest technology companies. Microsoft’s success was largely due to the close collaboration between Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.
The relationship between Bill Gates and Ballmer has inspired many and spawned several expressions.
‘Microsoft is a ‘Gates and Ballmer one-man show.’
‘Many believe that Bill Gates has led Microsoft, but Steve Ballmer is the man behind its true success.’
‘Gates is a technologist, strategist, and commander-in-chief. Ballmer, on the other hand, is the entrepreneur, the hands-on guy, the field commander.’
These statements make it clear how important the relationship between the two men was to Microsoft’s success. While Gates provided the technical vision and set the direction of the company, Ballmer was the one who figured out how to realise that vision and make it a reality. Together, they made Microsoft a global success.
Now, let’s ask an important question: do you have the right people by your side, who are essential to your company’s success? Good employees are the key to growing a company. As a leader, you can’t do it all yourself – you need a team of people who can fill in your gaps and are committed to the success of your company. Bill Gates was successful because he had a great chief of staff in Steve Ballmer.
We shouldn’t forget that successful leaders have always had great people behind them. What you need now is to have a great team of people who can help you succeed. These people will be your key partners in realising your company’s vision and navigating new challenges. Without them, you may not be able to achieve success on your own.
Finally, I’d like to emphasise that the first step to success is having the right people on board. They are more than just employees, they are the leader’s right hand. A good staff can help a company turn a crisis into an opportunity and continue to grow. I hope you’ll make it a priority to have one. They will lead you to success.
Thank you for listening.

The power of reading

We’ve all read books with our eyes. We savour the rich emotions we feel as we close the book, but less than five minutes later, we’re back in the real world. Swept up in the busy whirlwind of everyday life, the feeling lingers for a moment and then fades away. We wish we could call someone to share it with us, but we can’t think of anyone to talk to. So we’ve spent our lives reading alone, feeling alone. And then we met you.
Reciting in a group is definitely different than just reading with your eyes. It makes the words come alive, and it makes us realise what it means to ‘connect with others through the resonance of sound’. The experience we have when we read a book individually and the emotions we feel when we read aloud together are two very different things, and it makes me wonder why so many of us take time out of our busy lives to read, read aloud, and share stories with each other.
Surely we’ve all craved a beer with friends after work, and we’ve all missed the comfort of our own beds in our own rooms at home, but nevertheless, we’re here, and many of us say, ‘I was lonely.’ Perhaps the most realistic reason for reading is that it’s not just knowledge that we find in books, it’s our desire to find companionship in our loneliness. We are creating a new form of friendship, not through drinking or dancing, but through books, where we connect and share our hearts.
We learn so much from each other’s interpretations, even when we read the same text, because we have different life histories, and that’s the real beauty of book clubs. One person may see hope in a sentence, another may see despair. We see the world through different eyes, and we gain a deeper understanding and empathy from each other’s stories.
No one lives far away from poverty – we’re all tied to it, and we’re not free from it today – we were today, we were yesterday, and we probably won’t be tomorrow – but nevertheless, this time of leisure, reading, and sharing our thoughts gives us renewed strength. Instead of seeing poverty as an enemy to be unconditionally eradicated, we’re finding the joy and leisure we can have in the midst of it.
Perhaps it’s the balance and nonchalance between the successful and the poor that characterises us in this age. We may be on different paths, but we seem to be finding a balance between them, communicating in a common language through books, and it’s that balance that makes us shine. That’s why we look so radiant when we’re reading.
As the year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve gained and what we’ve lost. But I hope that whatever we’ve lost and whatever we’ve gained, we’ll continue to believe in the power of reading aloud together, and find greater solace in sharing our stories with each other. Thank you.

The importance of communication

Good evening, everyone.
Today we’re here to talk about the topic of communication. What is communication? We often think of communication as simply the transfer of information, but it’s not a one-way street; it’s a two-way process. It’s the exchange of feelings, thoughts, and values, not just information. It’s how we form relationships and work together in organisations and society.
Communication is the act of sharing meaning through symbolic interaction, through which we build a common understanding. Communication is not just a tool for conversation, but an important means by which we identify our place in relation to others and realise our selfhood. It is through communication that we discover ourselves, interact with society and develop for the better.
Irish statesman Sean McBride, winner of both the Nobel Prize and the Lenin Prize, once said that communication is what moves us from instinct to inspiration, meaning it’s not just a technical exchange, but a powerful tool to facilitate change within us. Through communication, organisations establish their legitimacy, organisational decisions gain legitimacy, and ultimately, societies develop in a balanced way through communication.
But what happens when communication fails? Lack of communication breeds alienation, alienation breeds confrontation, and confrontation breeds violence and conflict. The root cause of many of the conflicts and disputes we experience in the modern world can often be traced back to a lack of communication. Balanced development, free from violence and struggle, is in most cases a product of good communication. So let’s think about how to communicate well.
First, we need to be humble.
Humility is the first step in communication. Without it, communication tends to degenerate into one-sided dictation or command. Humility is called ‘humility’ in English, which comes from the Latin word ‘humus.’ This word, which means dirt, naturally makes us reflect on our existence. Soil takes in the filth and waste that people throw away, nourishes it, and nurtures life. In the process, it never reveals itself. When we accept others with the same humility as soil, we can truly connect.
Second, we need to acknowledge the other person.
The Bible says that when a bride and groom respect each other, there is peace. Similarly, when the subject and object of communication acknowledge each other, communication happens naturally. The key is to accept that the other person’s opinion may be different from yours. Communication doesn’t always have to be with people who share the same opinion as you, but rather with people who have different ideas.
Third, you need to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
In psychology, this is called ‘empathy’. We often refer to it as ‘reverse geography.’ When you can put yourself in the other person’s shoes, you can understand their thoughts and feelings, and communication becomes easier. It may not be easy, but it’s essential for true communication.
Fourth, listen before you speak.
The adage ‘you have one mouth and two ears’ is more than just a physiological fact; it suggests how we should communicate. In the sense of speaking once and listening twice, communication starts with listening to the other person first. Many conflicts arise when we don’t really listen to what the other person is saying. Being willing to listen and understand first is an important starting point for communication.
Fifth, you need to clear your mind.
One of the biggest barriers to communication is our own biases and preconceptions. No dialogue can be productive when our minds are closed. True communication happens when we approach each other with good intentions and an open mind. ‘When words rise, the nation rises, and when words fall, the nation falls,’ said Master Ju-Kyung Shin. This means that words, or communication, determine the fate of a nation.
Finally, Professor Francis Fukuyama argued that ‘the development of a country is determined by the level of trust inherent in it.’ This suggests that social trust is an important factor in determining the quality of communication. When we strive to communicate better, we will not only improve as individuals, but also as organisations and nations.
Thank you for listening.

We need to change middle managers

When I went to a university and was asked what I wanted to do after graduation, the question was very simple and straightforward: ‘Do you want to work for a Korea company or a foreign company?’ The response was very high, especially from female students, so I tried hard to convince them of the advantages of working for a Korea company. The answer was the same: I’ve interned a little bit, and I don’t think I could survive in a hierarchy. It’s all about communication.
In Korea, hierarchy is emphasised and the relationship between bosses and subordinates is often vertical, whereas in foreign companies, communication is more horizontal and open. This is one of the big reasons why young talent prefers foreign companies: they want an environment where they can freely express their opinions and focus on their work without worrying about their bosses.
One boss told me that he liked coffee milk, so he paid 250 won for instant coffee and mixed milk for him. The coffee wasn’t very hot because he had to add cold milk from the convenience store, and he said, ‘That’s a great gesture.
‘It’s okay, you have this much consideration.’
The first-time employee said that this experience made him wonder what a useless human being he was and why he had worked so hard to study for the TOEIC. Is this how the world works?
Stories like these show how frustrating an organisational culture that lacks communication and mutual respect can be for employees. Many HR consulting reports show that the person who has the most impact on an employee’s satisfaction with their company and job is not the CEO or executive, but their direct manager. This means that middle managers play a critical role in creating an organisational culture where employees feel passionate about their work and are able to generate creative ideas. As a leader, you should make it a top priority to enlist their change and cooperation in spreading an organisational culture based on core values.
Reshaping an organisation’s culture through the transformation of middle managers is a critical issue that has a direct impact on company performance. When middle managers lead by example and create a positive atmosphere, employees work harder and produce greater results. This is essential to a company’s continued success.
As always, the job of corporate HR leaders is to ensure that the talent that has gone through the hard work of joining a company doesn’t escape to other companies. Especially for younger talent, they cite the vertical communication and authoritarian hierarchy of their superiors and the closed corporate culture in Korea as one of the main reasons for turnover. It’s unfortunate.
To address these issues, leaders must first drive change. Leaders need to promote open communication within their organisations, train middle managers to provide better feedback and support to employees, and middle managers need to re-evaluate their roles, shed their hierarchical attitudes, and exercise leadership based on communication and empathy.
Says one female academic. The male-dominated, conservative corporate culture in Korea gives foreign companies in Korea the reflex advantage of easily acquiring talented female employees… It will require bosses to take a little weight off their shoulders and think about the people below them… It will be the role of leaders to help them think and act in this way.
It’s no longer about authoritarian leadership, it’s about co-creative leadership. You can’t change the whole company without changing the middle management, and the change in the middle management means the change in the company, and that will be the critical factor that will determine the success of the company.
Thank you, everyone, for listening.

Growth comes from people

Good afternoon, everyone.
I’d like to thank you for joining us today, and I’m here to talk about sustainable growth.
I’ve been thinking about the corporate reality that we face every day. What is the biggest challenge facing Korean companies?
It is none other than the question of how to realise sustainable growth.
Right now, we are struggling with product development and innovation in search of new growth engines. But to be honest, I don’t think the answer is clear yet.
In times like these, many executives say things like.
‘Get rid of the bottom 10% of your employees.’
‘Always check, check, check.’
‘The world is in a war for talent. Bring in the best people, even if it costs a fortune.’
‘Tough leaders win in the end.’
These are some of the more familiar business myths. They’ve long been considered the gold standard of management, and many high performing companies have succeeded by following them.
But I believe it’s time for a more people-centric management strategy.
After all, technology advancements come from people. We often think of technology development as coming from infrastructure or investment, but we shouldn’t forget that it comes from the creativity and passion of people.
Growth without people is not sustainable.
What do you think is the most important consideration for many global companies when moving R&D or production overseas?
They don’t make the decision based on tax benefits or low labour costs. The first thing they look at is people.
The availability of talent in the region is a key determining factor.
The success story of Silicon Valley is well known. But it wasn’t just because of its low cost of living or labour costs. It had some of the best educational institutions in the world and was able to attract top talent from around the world.
The bottom line is that talent is the key to success.
The secret to successful companies is attracting good people and keeping them from leaving.
When asked what his company’s core strategy is, Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt said.
‘Our basic strategy is to attract great people and give them the freedom to realise their full potential.’
At the end of the day, we believe that how we manage people and how we unlock their potential is a critical factor in our success.
In today’s global competition, we can’t compete with low-wage countries.
That means we can’t fight with the same strategy as companies that can cut costs by using low-cost labour in places like Bangladesh.
What we need to focus on is innovation and qualitative advantage.
For that, talented people are essential, and we need to create an environment where they can be creative.
So I want to emphasise once again.
Growth comes from people, and it’s only when people’s ideas, passions, and talents are combined that true innovation happens.
And the most important thing for all of us to remember is that people are a company’s most important asset.
Thank you, everyone, for listening.

The power of noticing the little things

When you think about it, there are so many amazing things around us. Take music, for example. It’s amazing to think that music that’s been around for hundreds of years is still being created in new forms, and it shows that human creativity is endless.
People are constantly thinking and creating. The phrase ‘creative people get noticed’ sounds like a cliché now, but how many people consider themselves creative? Probably most of us don’t, because we often perceive ourselves as ordinary people stuck in a ‘normal mindset’ and ‘normal life’ – and it’s not easy to break out of that mould.
In the field of information technology (IT), new technologies are coming out every day these days, but if you ask me if they’re completely new, it’s actually not that easy to create something completely new under the sun, because our lives and mindsets have evolved within the limitations we’ve inherited from the past. Nevertheless, we’re under pressure to ‘always find something new.’ Especially in the workplace, bosses demand creative and novel ideas from their employees. But vaguely ordering them to ‘find something new’ won’t solve the problem.
Instead, why not create an environment that inspires them? The most important thing you can do as a leader is to provide your employees with the environment and motivation to be creative, not just set goals for them. I’m an ordinary person, and I think my employees are no different, so how do you make ordinary people creative? Isn’t that the role of a true leader? Transforming ordinary people into creative people is what good leaders do.
Creative ideas aren’t far away – just take another look at your surroundings. Things that seem mundane can take on a different life when you look at them with fresh eyes. Ideas often come from combining two seemingly unlikely things. For example, in our product planning and design departments, we often travel abroad to do market research, and I always tell our employees, ‘Don’t just look at underwear or whatever they’re familiar with, but look at something completely different.’
One time, while travelling abroad, I had a major inspiration in a building’s bathroom. The toilets may not be anything special on their own, but they’re in harmony with the overall structure of the building, and yet they’re uniquely decorated and functional. A seemingly insignificant but essential space, and the design and functionality behind it. Isn’t that where creative ideas come from?
We often talk about big breakthroughs, but true innovation often starts with small discoveries. The power to notice the little things, the ability to find new value in the mundane. That’s what we believe is at the heart of creativity, and what keeps us moving forward.
Perhaps it’s time to start paying attention to the little things again. If we can find new perspectives in the mundane, in the things we’ve passed over, that will be the foundation for our next big leap forward.
Thank you for listening.

The power of differentiation for success

Taking a different path
It’s common to see the ‘8-to-2 rule’ in the startup world: 80 per cent of entrepreneurs fail and only 20 per cent succeed. This is not unique to the startup world; we see it in many fields. In sports, the arts, academia, and almost any other field where competition exists, success belongs to the few. When starting a business, everyone wants to be part of the success zone – who doesn’t start a business with determination, and most of us have a ‘here or bust’ mentality. Most of us are driven to succeed, but in the end, success belongs to the few. Success is sweet, but failure is bitter. A world where only a few succeed seems like a natural state of affairs, but it’s never easy to accept.
Why do most people fail and only a few succeed?
Why do so many people fail and so few succeed? What do the few successful people do differently? This question is very important because understanding how successful people work and think is a great way to follow in their footsteps. They put in the same effort, did the same market research, and worked harder than anyone else. None of them would have done anything half-assed to succeed, so why are they setting themselves up for failure? What’s clear is that the few successful people think about business from a completely different perspective than the 80 per cent of failures. They think outside the box, explore new avenues and see possibilities where others don’t. This is the difference between success and failure.
Avoid the competition and be different
In every business, everyone has competition. But instead of desperately trying to fight your competitors, I’d like to suggest that you avoid competition. What does it mean to avoid competition? It’s not just avoidance, it’s a strategic choice to take a different path from your competitors. Instead of blindly following the products or services that your competitors are pursuing, you create something that is so different from them that it makes the competition itself irrelevant. It’s hard to be the best in a highly competitive field, and most of them follow the law of survival of the fittest, which means that you should deliberately choose to go in a different direction from the majority of your competitors whenever possible.
Case in point: Differentiating between Manopin and OneDay
This can be an adventure, and it can be a very difficult process, but it’s something you must consider if you want to truly succeed and avoid repeating your failures. In a world where neighbourhood bakeries are closing one by one in favour of large franchised bakeries, the success of a small brand called Manopin is instructive. Instead of competing with the big bakeries, the brand has succeeded by targeting a niche market for muffins. While most neighbourhood bakeries focused on expanding their bread offerings like the big bakeries, Manopin’s focus on one product – muffins – was a key factor in their success. This is a prime example of the power of choice and focus.
Another example is the online retailer One A Day. They tried to differentiate themselves by selling only one product a day, when their competitors were focusing on increasing their selection to sell more products. By focusing on one product, they built credibility, and as a result, they became extremely successful. This strategy helped customers to be more interested in a particular product and to make fewer decisions about what to buy.
Question for success: Which path am I on?
Now you need to ask yourself the question. Am I competing in the same way as the majority of people right now, or am I envisioning my business in a different way, like a few successful people? To avoid failure, you need to avoid copying the ways of the unsuccessful. One thing is for sure, the secret to building a small, strong company is to take a different path than everyone else. Success doesn’t come from following the beaten path, it comes from blazing new trails and thinking differently. Remember, this isn’t just a challenge, it’s a recipe for success.

The Nokia debacle

Nokia was once the world’s mobile phone powerhouse, but eventually the company faltered and faded into history. When you think of Nokia, there’s one country that immediately comes to mind: Finland.
But where is Finland now? Nokia was once the backbone of the country’s economy, accounting for 25 per cent of Finnish exports, and its decline has had a devastating impact on the country’s overall economy. According to the Finnish Institute of Economic Research, Nokia’s tax payments fell from €1.3 billion in 2007 to around €100 million in 2009, and the company’s share of Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP) plummeted from 4 per cent in 2000 to 1.6 per cent in 2009. The Wall Street Journal went so far as to say that ‘Nokia’s pain is Finland’s pain’.
But the Nokia crisis isn’t just a Finnish problem – it’s an unavoidable reality across the pond. Korea’s economy has many similarities to Finland’s, and it’s no exaggeration to say that a handful of large companies account for a larger share of our economy than Nokia’s.
For example, of the 189.3 trillion won in sales of Korea’s top 1,000 companies last year, the top 10 companies accounted for 403 trillion won, or 21.3 per cent. Samsung Electronics alone accounted for 112 trillion won, or nearly 10 per cent of Korea’s GDP. In Korea, which has a small, open economy, the ability of major conglomerates to adapt to the global market can determine the fate of the national economy. If a major conglomerate falters due to its inability to adapt to global market changes, there is no guarantee that a second Finland will not occur in Korea.
The fact that the Korean economy is overly dependent on a few large companies is a problem that needs to be addressed. According to data from Statistics Korea in 2009, 99 per cent of the total number of businesses in Korea are SMEs, and 88 per cent of workers are employed by SMEs. Nevertheless, the persistence of a conglomerate-centric economy is leading to ‘growth without employment’, a typical problem of neoliberalism. Policy consideration and attention is essential to prevent this. We need to start with large corporations and genuinely seek a path to shared growth.
We should learn from Nokia’s example. An economy that relies on one company, like Finland’s, can become vulnerable at any time. Shouldn’t we create a more robust economic structure through balanced growth of large and small companies?

Attention to the basics is the key to success

How can we avoid falling in the midst of a crisis?
How do we avoid mistakes and reduce failure?
The answer is simple: by sticking to the basics.
As technology advances and the pace of change continues to accelerate, we will only become more chaotic. In this chaos, our needs will become more fragmented and diverse. How do we satisfy these complex needs? In the end, the answer is to stick to the basics.
Sticking to the basics is more about the value of quality over quantity than simply offering more of the same.
What is the primary objective that customers look for when choosing a product?
It’s the quality of the product.
It doesn’t matter how fancy the packaging or who the celebrity endorser is, if the quality of the product is poor, customers will quickly turn away.
It’s only a matter of time before your product disappears from the market.
It’s easy for many businesses to focus on short-term results and develop marketing strategies that focus on increasing sales, but in the long run, a strategy that only focuses on the bottom line will only get you so far.
Today’s consumers aren’t just looking for price competitiveness; they’re looking for value, the essence of what a brand offers.
Customers, regardless of their generation, want quality and the best service. And if they feel the psychological satisfaction that a brand provides in the process, they’ll be happy to latch on to it. While short-term discounts and flashy advertising may succeed in gaining temporary favour, we must not forget that it’s only a matter of time before we lose their trust if we lack the basics.
There’s only one thing we need to remember.
That’s the key to ensuring lasting success.
Thank you for listening.

Strong leadership

What kind of person are you? Have you ever asked yourself this question? When I think about defining myself, I always think of the advice my parents gave me. ‘Don’t follow the majority, decide and act for yourself.’ These words are not just advice, they have become a principle and philosophy that has guided my life. This teaching has shaped my behaviour since I was a child, and in the process, I have always tried to stand up for what I believe to be right and put it into practice. In this repeated action, sometimes I have succeeded, sometimes I have failed, but even failure is a new learning for me, and I have come to understand the world a little better through that experience.
As I adapted to my parents’ teachings, I naturally became a highly driven person, which is not just a personality trait, but a choice I made and a will to forge my own path. The process of instilling confidence in myself was not easy, but over time, it allowed me to set bigger goals and push myself forward, which would later play an important role in my decision-making and leading teams as a leader.
After entering university, I strived to gain a variety of experiences: I joined clubs to interact with different people, took a minor outside of my major to gain new knowledge, and joined a volunteer organisation where I served as president, which gave me the opportunity to interact with different people and exercise leadership. These experiences helped me develop my leadership qualities through practical experience, not just theory. After graduating from university, I travelled abroad to see and learn more about the wider world, and through it all, I had only one goal. I wanted to be a leader, and more importantly, I wanted to make a positive impact on people through that leadership.
So, what kind of leader am I? People say this about my leadership. ‘You’re listening to people, but you don’t have your ears open,’ or “You’re like a dictator who pretends to be compassionate.” In the end, I’ve been told that what I really want is for people to change to my way of doing things. In Korea, a republic of Guk and Eul, many Eul refer to me as “Guk wearing a fancy mask.” They’re not wrong, and it’s only now that I understand what they’re saying that I’ve come to accept that I was no different from them. I believed I was different from the other ducks, but in the end, I was treating people the same way they were. I had to face the limitations of my own strong leadership and the consequences that came with it.
The biggest problem I had was that the stronger my leadership became, the lonelier I became. I had a lot of people around me, but my relationships with them were no longer authentic. I had a disagreement with an employee who was a founding member over company integration issues, and he eventually left the company. That’s when I knew something was going wrong. The more I used power, the more I isolated myself, and people stopped being authentic with me.
What about you? If you have power, I want you to ask yourself, are you using it correctly, or are you abusing it? Leadership is the ability to wield power, but how that power is used can make a leader a world changer or an isolated dictator. Among the many suits in our country, which one am I? I hope you will ponder this question. Thank you.