Dr. Fox and the Magic of Engaging Public Speakers
In the early 70s, a group of PhD and medical students at USC attended a lecture entitled “Mathematical Game Theory and its Application to Physician Education.” A preeminent scientist gave some of them the lecture. Dr. Fox lectured to others.
Dr. Fox was introduced as an authority who authored books on the subject. There was a problem, however: Dr. Fox was a fraud. He was no expert. He was an actor named Myron Fox, hired by a team of researchers to determine which is more important to most people—substance or delivery?
Despite “Dr. Fox’s” content being meaningless drivel, the engaging and confident manner in which he delivered it meant that the attendees rated him highly credible. He was even able to successfully avoid answering any of the questions put to him after his 20-minute talk had finished. (This was particularly surprising to the actor playing the role as he feared the audience would recognize him from his appearances in films and popular TV shows, including Batman and Inspector Columbo.)
It is not so much the matter that is to be considered, but the manner of the man’s speaking. Shakespeare recognized the importance of charisma versus true authority in the sixteenth century. Despite the emptiness of his lecture, Dr. Fox’s evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. As the experimenters noted, the disturbing feature of the Dr. Fox study is that Fox’s nonverbal behaviors so completely masked a meaningless, jargon-filled, and confused presentation.
As we delve deeper into this experiment and its repercussions, you’ll find it’s not just a lesson in psychology but a reflection of our everyday lives. How often does the glitter sway us without seeing what’s beneath? Today, this phenomenon is commonly known as the Dr. Fox Effect. We frequently applaud the delivery rather than the message itself. Surely, you have seen this in your career. Think of the very engaging, charming manager who, when you strip away the window dressing, doesn’t have anything to say. These people are a corporate archetype, and they exist in every company. They tend to surround themselves with super competent, high performers who make up for the substance they lack.
Warm and charismatic speakers may entertain an audience, but being a good leader requires far more than that. And, for all of the “Dr. Fox” types out there, most people know that being entertaining is not as important as being competent. The Dr. Fox types may be captivating at the moment, but when you deal with them regularly, you see that they are like the Wizard of Oz, an insecure person, and an empty vessel. To truly be a thought leader in your organization, managers and executives must possess real knowledge and substance. Remember, just because someone is animated and interesting does not mean what they say is useful. Think critically. Act accordingly.