How the world’s most powerful people communicate and influence
French President Emmanuel Macron, wearing sunglasses, speaks at a meeting on the corporate future of New Caledonia at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on January 16, 2026.
Yoan Valat | via Reuters
Every January, the world’s most powerful people gather on the snowy peaks of Davos to talk about the most pressing global issues, and it’s a masterclass in the art of communication and influence.
The World Economic Forum’s flagship conference took place from January 19 to 23 and included US President Donald Trump, billionaire Bill Gates and Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang gave speeches and spoke on panels.
This year’s theme was “Spirit of Dialogue” as geopolitical uncertainty and international trade tensions dominated the talks.
Among the top issues were Trump’s insistence on taking ownership of the Arctic region of Greenland and the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market.
Responses from national leaders and CEOs were broadcast live, then turned into 10-second audio snippets and TikTok fan edits, consumed globally and inviting immediate criticism.
René Carayol, leadership coach of Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 executives and world leaders, talked about what the most effective communicators did at this year’s World Economic Forum in his interview with CNBC.
Carayol, which worked with Nelson Mandela, former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apple CEO Tim Cook and many others have been outspoken about the essentials of strong public speaking and communication.
“Two important things we always coach: it’s performance, not content. Secondly, it’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it. That’s the most powerful thing. Stop trying to remember the words, learn the performance,” Carayol said.
Macron and Carney steal the show
French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were “two master classes” in public speaking, leadership and influence, according to Carayol.
The French leader warned of a world “without rules” as international law is ignored and called for global cooperation to find solutions to instability. They were all delivered wearing blue aviator-style sunglasses due to an eye infection, which Carayol said gave Macron’s presentation a “Tom Cruise” feel.
“He was like a Marvel superhero. He stood up and spoke as tall as he could, as honest as he could,” Carayol said.
His stance was “upright, looking up, looking powerful”, which exuded an aura that was “unafraid, unapologetic and formed the backbone of all of Europe”.
Carney conveyed a similar message to Macron‘s Speaking at the WEF on Tuesday, he said the world’s “middle powers” should unite against pressure from the world’s biggest powers.
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – JANUARY 20: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivers a speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on January 20, 2026.
Anatolia | Getty Images
“The major powers began to use economic integration as a weapon. They began to use tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as pressure, supply chains as vulnerabilities to exploit,” Carney said. he said.
Carayol said Carney’s speech was “wonderful” and described him as calm, authoritative, measured and hard-working.
Carney’s facial expression did most of the talking, as he remained “extremely solemn and solemn” throughout his speech and did not smile even once. He also used intonation to create weight.
“He was serious… he wanted the world to know that they would not back down against Trump without even mentioning him,” Carayol said. “The person you were going to go with was Macron, and remember, the person you were going to respect was Carney.”
While Trump is generally a great speaker, Carayol said he gave a rambling speech speech on wednesday.
“Trump was all over the show, off-script, rambling, making no sense because he was doing his ‘TACO.’ Trump always gets scared when someone opposes him,” he said. “He was a crumpled mess.”
However, Carayol noted that Trump is generally “smart” and that “at his best you agree not with what he says, but with the way he says it.”
Carayol reminded the process leading up to the US Presidential elections in 2024 as follows: “He is doing his best in a competitive environment. In other words, he massacred all the opposition while running for president.”
The best leaders tell stories
Business leaders may communicate differently than heads of state because CEOs need to be more conscious of how their words affect their companies’ stock prices, while world leaders may use stronger rhetoric, according to Andrew Brodsky, a professor of management at the University of Texas and author of this book. “PING: Secrets of Successful Communication.”
“World leaders often have other communication tools at their disposal because they don’t need to worry about stock prices,” Brodsky told CNBC. “World leaders use strategies to motivate their populations, such as tapping into negative emotions, especially anger, and highlighting potential existential threats to their countries’ future.”
On the other hand, if tech CEOs get too caught up in the “negative emotions” or dwell on the risks that come with technology like AI, their company’s stock prices are likely to be affected or staff will lose confidence in the company and leave.
Instead, Brodsky emphasized that one of the best communication styles in leadership is using “images, metaphors, and stories” to share a vision with audiences.
NVIDIA President and CEO Jensen Huang attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on January 21, 2026.
Denis Balibouse | Reuters
For example, when discussing artificial intelligence advances at the WEF this week, Satya Nadella compared it to the transformational state of computers when they were first introduced and even noted that the effects of artificial intelligence are “10 times, 100 times” that.
“Instead of emphasizing technical elements, Nadella conveyed his vision of the future of artificial intelligence in a way that anyone could understand, using simple metaphors,” Brodsky said.
“Rather than relying on high-level cross-industry statistics, Huang was able to use a story about radiologists to illustrate the positive impact of AI. By using a story, he was able to make what he was saying feel much more concrete and meaningful to the audience in a way that statistics alone could not,” Brodsky said.
Microsoft’s co-founder Bill Gates also attracted attention during the panel; because he mostly maintained eye contact with the audience while being asked questions by interviewers and other panelists.
“This seemingly small choice made it feel like Gates was speaking directly to the audience and engaging them in the conversation,” Brodsky added.
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