Best Public Speakers Series: How Dame Ellen MacArthur Inspires Action with Simplicity and Strength
- Stephanie Bickel
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
by David Prete
Few people can say they’ve seen the limits of the world, and come back with a new vision for it. Dame Ellen MacArthur did just that when she became the fastest solo sailor to circumnavigate the globe.
We included Dame Ellen MacArthur in our Best Public Speaker's Blog because of the direct way she speaks to her audience and the confidence in her delivery. Let’s explore what makes Dame Ellen MacArthur a standout speaker and how you can learn from her style.
In 2005, Dame Ellen MacArthur became the fastest solo sailor to sail around the world. Five years later, she launched the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
Spending 71 days alone at sea, surrounded by the beauty and force of nature, she began to consider the fragility of the systems we rely on. Her boat was her entire world and her survival depended solely on the food, fuel, and supplies she brought with her. That experience sparked a realization: our global economy operates the same way. We rely on finite resources, extract them, use them, and then discard them.
She began to ask: What would an economy look like if it were designed to use resources wisely rather than consume them entirely?
After years of collaborating with engineers, business leaders, and systems thinkers, she became one of the world’s most prominent voices for the circular economy an economic model designed to eliminate waste, regenerate natural systems, and keep materials in use for as long as possible.
Dame Ellen MacArthur's communication strengths
Structure turns your story into strategy. Her messaging is chronological and purposeful. She often begins with personal experiences, then expands into insight, and concludes with action. This structure makes her message memorable and grounded.
Intention aligns your message with your mission. Every word Ellen shares carries weight. Her tone, pacing, and anecdotes are all in service of her mission. She doesn’t just inform—she activates. This fusion of purpose and content is one of her greatest strengths as a speaker.
Emphasis tells your audience what matters most.
She has a natural ability to highlight key phrases and subordinate others. This adds rhythm to her delivery and directs her audience to focus on her most important ideas.
Where could Dame Ellen MacArthur improve?
Silence gives your message room to land. Her storytelling is powerful, and she introduces ideas that are new to many audiences. Adding more intentional pauses - especially after big insights - would give her listeners time to absorb and reflect.
Pace shapes clarity. Ellen’s fast delivery helps create energy, but slowing down during key moments would add even more power. Slower pacing gives her message emotional contrast and ensures every word is received with intention.
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