YOU ARE THE VESSEL, NOT THE SOURCE.
everything is a remix
Keep it general and take the pressure off
As an executive you are used to carrying the lion’s share of responsibility for your company, to your shareholders and beyond. It’s no wonder why you are made to feel that there is never-ending pressure on you to share groundbreaking and original content and thought that only someone at your level can deliver. However, when speaking to TV journalists and general audiences who are not watching TV and taking notes of your every sentence, remember that you are the vessel, and not the source. Artists and creative live and die by this rule because otherwise they would never start a new painting, a new piece of writing, or any new project. To acknowledge that everything is a remix in one form or other takes the enormous pressure off of you to curate and scrutinize everything you say.
Chances are, the trends and points you are discussing isn’t going to be something that will be completely unheard of by every human in this world, but it will be just as worthwhile and valuable if you realize that the message has value and needs to be shared. Constantly feeling like everything you say needs to be original and groundbreaking will set you up for disappointment and disempowerment, as audiences are likely not holding you up to that standard. Understanding that your intentions are true and aligned with your company and personal values is the most important thing when it comes to giving interviews, and viewing it less as a PhD dissertation and more like a message that deserves to be shared will allow you to communicate with more ease and skill.
Having interviewed Heads of State, Fortune 500 CEOs, Oscar, Nobel and Pulitzer winners, I have found that the best interviews have two elements: personalization and interesting findings - data, statistics, numbers, etc...
These elements keep your company relevant, strengthens your position as a thought leader, while inviting you back to the table to share input on industry-related topics.