Shadowing Practice: The Definition of Leadership: It's a Skill, Not a Title | Simon Sinek - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
1
I think leadership has never changed, but whether we actually raise people to be leaders, I do think, I agree with you, changes with the times.
2
Fundamentally, leadership is the awesome responsibility to see those around us rise.
3
That's what it's about.
4
It's about taking responsibility for the people around us.
5
Too many people think leadership is a rank or a position, that once you get promoted, now you're a leader.
6
Now you have a leadership position, but whether you are a leader or not is yet to be seen.
7
And I think leadership is a skill like any other, and to get good leaders you have to teach the skill.
8
Some will have the opportunity to learn it through struggle or through the model of others, but every single one of us can learn to be a leader.
9
I think of it like a capacity.
10
Everybody has the capacity to be a parent, but it doesn't mean everybody should be a parent and doesn't mean everybody wants to be a parent.
11
It's the same with leadership.
12
Everyone has the capacity to be a leader.
13
It doesn't mean everyone should be a leader.
14
It doesn't mean everybody wants to be a leader
15
because like a parent it comes with a responsibility for other human beings and sometimes a personal sacrifice.
📺 Same Channel
B2350
How Cell Phones Impact Our Relationships
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B210
The Short-Term "Mistake" That Made Long-Term Impact
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
C17
Leadership Is a Learned Skill | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27
"You Don't Even Know What You're Missing"
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B23
Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah on the Quality More Leaders Need To Talk About | Full Conversation
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
Work & Life Are Not Opposing Forces | Simon Sinek at LinkedIn Speaker Series 2019
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
Why Are We Friends? | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
The Rise of Real Life Experiences in the Age of AI | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B23
Sometimes, You Don't Have to Prove Yourself
Business EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
B26
How to Make People Feel HEARD
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B24
What Diversity & Inclusion is REALLY About | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B27
CHOICE Makes Us Better at What We Do | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B21
What We Get WRONG About Business | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B25
The Best Mindset for Accountability
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B26
Doing Business in a Chaotic World PART 1: Meet Your Coworkers and Clients Where They're At
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B22
Why Saying Yes Is Making Things Worse | A Bit of Optimism: Feelings at Work | PART 1
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B26
How to Adapt to Changing Times | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B25
What Keeps Me OPTIMISTIC About the Future | Simon Sinek
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
Simon Sinek on Avoiding Burnout and the Modern Work-Life Balance
Business EnglishWorking Adults
B23
How to Get Better at Love (According to Science) | Relationship Expert Amy Chan
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B21
62 sentences
10 Skills That Give You an Unfair Advantage in Life
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B25
42 sentences
Derek Sivers' TED Talk 'How to Start a Movement'
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B22
326 sentences
How to Become the Best Version of Yourself This Year (Without Burning Out)
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
160 sentences
The Best Leaders All Start with This One Thing
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
435 sentences
Mastering the Art of Daily Excellence | Jim Rohn Motivation
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
25 sentences
Why Every Question Is A Gift
Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B21
35 sentences
How to Become the Best at What You Do
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B222
13 sentences
You can achieve anything you want
American AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
28 sentences
Master What You Can Control
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2529 sentences
When You Focus on Yourself & Stay Silent, Everything Falls Into Place | Best Motivational Speech
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
118 sentences
4 Big Secrets of the Top 5% Achievers | Robin Sharma
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 15 sentences and 220 words to shadow. The speech runs for 1:15. The speaker talks at a natural 177 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
| rank noun | /ˈɹæŋk/ | A row of people or things organized in a grid pattern, often soldiers. |
| sacrifice noun | /ˈsæk.ɹɪ.faɪs/ | Originally, the killing (and often burning) of a human being or an animal as an offering to a deity; later, also the offering of an object to a deity. |
| fundamentally adverb | In a fundamental or basic sense; reaching the very core of the matter. | |
| parent noun | /ˈpɛəɹənt/ | A person who raises a child (which they have made, adopted, fostered, taken as their own, etc.). |
| teach verb | /ˈtiːt͡ʃ/ | To pass on knowledge to. |
| struggle noun | /ˈstɹʌɡəl/ | A contortion of the body in an attempt to escape or to perform a difficult task. |
| promote verb | /pɹəˈmoʊt/ | To raise (someone) to a more important, responsible, or remunerative job or rank. |
| leader noun | /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/ | Any person who leads or directs. |
| leadership noun | /ˈlidɚʃɪp/ | The capacity of someone to lead others. |
| everybody | /ˈɛvɹi(ˌ)bədi/ | All people. |
| responsibility noun | /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/ | The state of being responsible, accountable, or answerable. |
| capacity noun | /kəˈpæsɪti/ | The ability to hold, receive, or absorb. |
| agree verb | /əˈɡɹi/ | To be in harmony about an opinion, statement, or action; to have a consistent idea between two or more people. |
| opportunity noun | /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/ | A chance for advancement, progress or profit. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has never changed |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be seen |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 5 contractions and reduced forms, such as doesn't, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- Long words — get the stress right: everybody /ˈɛvɹi(ˌ)bədi/, responsibility /ɹɪˌspɑn.səˈbɪl.ə.ti/, capacity /kəˈpæsɪti/, opportunity /ˌɒp.əˈtjuː.nɪ.tɪ/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like skill, rank, sacrifice.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.