Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 7-minute video condemning the U.S Capitol riot was, at times, “cheesy” and “hokey,” according to an article in the UK’s Guardian newspaper. It was also “stirring” and “exactly what we all needed.”
The writer is referring to the sword. Even if you’re not among the nearly 38 million people who have viewed the video since Schwarzenegger posted it on January 10, you might have heard about the prop he used to make his point.
Schwarzenegger’s rhetorical reference to a sword as a metaphor for democracy was not only a brilliant figure of speech, but it also provides a valuable lesson for all leaders who want to choose the right words to align their teams around a common goal.
“You see this sword? This is the Conan sword,” Schwarzenegger said as pulled out the massive sword that he used in the movie, Conan the Barbarian.
“Now, here’s the thing about swords; the more you temper a sword, the stronger it becomes.”
The only reason why I’ve heard of ‘tempering,’ or heat treating, is because I’ve watched too many episodes of History channel’s Forged in Fire, where bladesmiths compete to turn steel into swords.
Schwarzenegger explained the process simply:
“The more you pound it with a hammer and then heat it in the fire and then thrust it into the cold water, and then pound it again and plunge it into the fire and into the water, the more often you do that, the stronger it becomes.”
Schwarzenegger then turned the visual and verbal reference into a powerful metaphor.
“Now, I’m not telling you all this because I want you to become an expert sword maker, but our democracy is like the steel of this sword.”
A metaphor is hard to ignore, especially one that has universal appeal. By picking a sword, Schwarzenegger chose the right metaphor. The sword has a special place in our collective imagination. We associate them with legendary battles, courageous knights, ancient ceremonies, and skilled craftsmen. It’s a universal metaphor because swords have played a significant role in every major civilization.
I wasn’t surprised by Schwarzenegger’s carefully chosen message and figure of speech.
When Schwarzenegger became California’s governor in 2003, CBS hired me to cover the first 100 days of the new administration. I followed Schwarzenegger around the state as he gave speeches to a wide variety of groups from business executives to high-school students.
I also got a glimpse of his grand office in Santa Monica where everything is, well, big. From the life-size Terminator replica to a towering Andy Warhol silkscreen, every item seemed oversized. Large desks, chairs, statues, and trophies filled the massive space.
Arnold does everything big—including the metaphors he chooses.
A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things, usually to explain abstract concepts. An analogy expands on a metaphor for purpose of understanding.
In his video, Schwarzenegger expanded on the sword-as-democracy metaphor and crafted a simple, powerful analogy.
“Our democracy has been tempered by wars, injustices, and insurrections. I believe, as shaken as we are by the events of recent days, we will come out stronger because we now understand what can be lost…We need to look past ourselves, our parties, and disagreements, and put our democracy first.”
It’s not the first time Schwarzenegger has reached for metaphors and analogies to explain complex topics.
“You’ve got to communicate differently, in a way people understand,” Schwarzenegger once told podcaster Tim Ferriss.
Schwarzenegger expressed concern about the challenges of explaining climate change and the consequences of poor communication.
“We have passionate environmentalists who are serious about helping the earth, but their communication skills are lousy,” Schwarzenegger said. Their explanations go right over people’s head, he added.
In a 2015 Facebook post, Schwarzenegger used an analogy to address climate change and the promise of renewable energy. “Imagine there are two doors,” he began.
Behind Door Number One is a completely sealed room, with a regular, gasoline-fueled car. Behind Door Number Two is an identical, completely sealed room, with an electric car. Both engines are running full blast.
I want you to pick a door to open, and enter the room and shut the door behind you. You have to stay in the room you choose for one hour. You cannot turn off the engine. You do not get a gas mask.
I'm guessing you chose the Door Number Two, with the electric car, right? Door number one is a fatal choice - who would ever want to breathe those fumes?
This is the choice the world is making right now.
There’s a great deal of academic research on the power of metaphor in leadership. We think and communicate in metaphor. Metaphor is not reserved for poets and politicians; metaphor is the part of the arsenal of tools that effective leaders can and should use to educate, persuade, and inspire.
The right metaphor at the right time impresses even the most jaded listeners. The Conan sword in Schwarzenegger’s video “should have been ridiculous. It should have been silly,” according to the Guardian.
Instead, it was “rather glorious.”
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January 17, 2021 at 09:00PM
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How Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Sword Metaphor Can Help Leaders Sharpen Their Persuasive Edge - Forbes
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