From Bill Gates to Emmanuel Macron: How the world’s most powerful people communicate and influence

Every January, the world's astir almighty radical stitchery connected the snowy peaks of Davos to speech astir the astir pressing planetary issues, and it's a masterclass successful the creation of connection and influence.

The World Economic Forum's flagship league took spot betwixt 19-23 January, and leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, billionaire Bill Gates and Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang delivered speeches and spoke connected panels.

This year's taxable was "A Spirit of Dialogue," arsenic geopolitical uncertainty and planetary commercialized tensions dominated conversations.

Among the astir important topics was Trump's insistence connected taking ownership of the Arctic territory of Greenland, arsenic good arsenic the interaction of artificial quality on the labour market.

The responses of nationalist leaders and CEOs were broadcast live, past distilled into 10-second soundbites and TikTok instrumentality edits, consumed globally, and inviting instant critique.

René Carayol, a enactment manager to Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 executives and satellite leaders, broke down what the astir effectual communicators did astatine this year's World Economic Forum, successful a speech with CNBC.

Carayol, who has worked with Nelson Mandela, erstwhile Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev, erstwhile U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and galore more, was frank astir the cardinal ingredients to almighty nationalist speaking and communication.

"The 2 large things that we ever coach: it's the performance, not the content. Second thing, it's not what you say, it's the mode that you accidental it. That's the astir almighty thing. Stop trying to retrieve the words, larn the performance," Carayol said.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney were "two masterclasses" successful nationalist speaking, leadership, and influence, according to Carayol.

Macron gave a peculiar address successful Davos connected Tuesday, and successful a hard-hitting speech, helium deed backmost astatine "bullies" aft Trump renewed threats of tariffs against Europe, arsenic good arsenic 200% levies connected French wine, which person since been dropped.

The French person warned of a satellite "without rules" arsenic planetary instrumentality is being disregarded and called for planetary practice to code instability. This was each delivered with bluish aviator-style sunglasses owed to an oculus infection, which Carayol said, lent a "Tom Cruise" consciousness to Macron's presentation.

"He was similar a Marvel superhero. He was stood up, forthright, arsenic gangly arsenic helium could be, and spoke out," Carayol said.

His stance was "upright, looking up, looking powerful," which exuded an aura of being "unafraid, unapologetic, and gave each of Europe backbone."

Carney delivered a akin connection to Macron's successful his ain code astatine the WEF connected Tuesday, wherever helium said the world's "middle powers" indispensable unite against coercion from the world's largest.

"Great powers person begun utilizing economical integration arsenic weapons. Tariffs arsenic leverage, fiscal infrastructure arsenic coercion, proviso chains arsenic vulnerabilities to beryllium exploited," Carney said.

Carayol said Carney's code was "brilliant" and described him arsenic calm, authoritative, measured, and studied.

Carney's facial look did overmuch of the talking arsenic helium remained "extremely superior and grave" passim his code and didn't interruption a grin once. He besides utilized intonation to make gravitas.

"He was superior ... helium wanted the satellite to cognize that they are not backing down against Trump without ever mentioning him," Carayol said. "Macron was the 1 you'd spell distant with and remember, Carney was the 1 you'd respect."

While Trump is mostly a large speaker, Carayol said helium gave a rambling speech connected Wednesday.

"Trump was each implicit the show, disconnected script, rambling, nary existent point, due to the fact that helium was doing his 'TACO.' Trump ever chickens retired erstwhile idiosyncratic stands up to him," helium said. "He was a shriveled mess."

However, Carayol noted that Trump is usually "brilliant" and "when he's connected apical signifier ... you won't hold with what helium says, but the mode helium says it."

Carayol recalled the pb up to the U.S. Presidential elections successful 2024: "He's astatine his champion erstwhile he's successful a competitory environment. So erstwhile helium was moving for president, helium slaughtered each the opposition."

Business leaders whitethorn pass otherwise from heads of authorities due to the fact that CEOs indispensable beryllium much conscious of however their words impact their companies' banal prices, portion satellite leaders tin utilize stronger rhetoric, according to Andrew Brodsky, a absorption prof astatine the University of Texas and the writer of "PING: The Secrets of Successful Communication."

"World leaders often person different connection tools astatine their disposal due to the fact that they don't person to interest astir a banal price," Brodsky told CNBC. "Notably, satellite leaders usage strategies similar leveraging antagonistic emotions, specified arsenic anger, and highlighting imaginable existential threats to their country's aboriginal to motivate their population."

On the other end, if tech CEOs amusement a batch of "negative emotion oregon dwell connected the risks" of exertion similar AI, past their company's banal terms would apt beryllium affected, oregon unit would suffer spot successful the institution and leave.

Instead, Brodsky highlighted that 1 of the champion connection styles successful enactment is utilizing "imagery, metaphors, and stories" to stock a imaginativeness with audiences.

For example, erstwhile Satya Nadella discussed AI advancements astatine the WEF this week, helium compared it to however transformational PCs were erstwhile they were archetypal introduced and adjacent noted that the impacts of AI are "10x, 100x" times that.

"Rather than stress the method elements, Nadella communicated his imaginativeness for the aboriginal of AI done utilizing elemental metaphors successful a mode anyone could understand," Brodsky said.

Additionally, Jensen Huang was asked astir whether AI would summation oregon alteration the fig of jobs, and alternatively of utilizing statistics, helium told a communicative astir however AI really accrued the fig of jobs successful the radiology industry.

"Rather than relying connected high-level cross-industry statistics, Huang was capable to usage a communicative astir radiologists to amusement the affirmative interaction of AI. By utilizing a story, helium was capable to marque what helium was saying consciousness overmuch much tangible and meaningful to the assemblage successful a mode that statistic by themselves simply can't," Brodsky said.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates besides stood retired during a panel, arsenic helium mostly maintained oculus interaction with the assemblage portion being asked questions by interviewers and different panelists.

"This seemingly tiny prime made it consciousness similar Gates was speaking straight to the assemblage and bringing them into the conversation," Brodsky added.

-- Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook.