Why do we still use lecterns in meetings and at conferences? A lectern prevents you from engaging with your audience,
I was at a conference a few years ago, and there was no lapel microphone available and no hand microphone – just a fixed mike on the lectern, which meant I had to stand behind the infernal thing. I could not walk around and could not move my head too much.
How can you relax and interact with your audience tied to the spot? How can they become participants?
More recently, at a Knowledge Management conference in South Africa, once again, there was only a fixed mike, but the lectern was a large wooden one, at least four feet high may be higher.
Two African women who spoke were not much taller than the lectern and could not be seen with their laptops open.
Look at the photo — there is a speaker concealed behind the lectern.
Let’s get rid of lecterns!
Tweet This
Resources
- Blog Post: Why You Shouldn’t Stand Behind the Lectern
In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.
This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.