Matthew Cossolotto, a former speechwriter for top leaders at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, has dedicated his new book (The Joy of Public Speaking: Find Your Voice and Reach Your Peak Potential) to the staff and leadership of the transatlantic alliance that was founded in 1949. Cossolotto's book is available on Amazon.com.
The charter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (as NATO is formally known) states that the signatories will "seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area" and will "unite their efforts for collective defense and for the preservation of peace and security." Article 5 of the NATO treaty states that "an attack against one Ally is considered an attack against all Allies."
NATO currently has 30 members in Europe and North America: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Cossolotto's dedication to NATO reads as follows:
This book is dedicated to the surprisingly few in number but remarkably effective staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), all gifted and dedicated men and women who serve every day to fulfill NATO's history-shaping promise: to preserve the peace and defend the values of democracy. With apologies to Winston Churchill, never in the field of preventing human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.
I will forever be proud to have served as a speechwriter at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. I applaud the stellar leadership of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the two Deputy Secretaries General with whom I was privileged to work: Alexander Vershbow and Rose Gottemoeller.
I also offer my best wishes to all of my friends and colleagues on NATO's International Staff, with a special word of appreciation to those who served with me in the Public Diplomacy Division (PDD). And I express my profound admiration for the talented team of senior leaders of NATO's PDD and Media Operations Center during my tenure: Tacan Ildem, Oana Lungescu, Piers Cazalet, and Carmen Romero.
Finally, I extend my deep gratitude to the scores of NATO staff members who participated in the series of PodiumPower! workshops I conducted at NATO. Your eagerness to learn and willingness to experiment helped me shape and refine key concepts contained in the following pages.
All of you deserve a prolonged standing ovation!
Matthew Cossolotto (aka "The Podium Pro") is an author, speaker, speech coach, and speechwriter. He served as a speechwriter for top leaders at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and as an aide to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. His multifaceted communications career also includes senior-level speechwriter roles at UCLA, GTE (now Verizon), Pepsi-Cola International, and MCI Communications. A UC Berkeley alumnus, Matthew began his career as an aide to Congressman Leon Panetta. A former study abroad student at the University of Lund (Sweden), Matthew is working to establish the global headquarters of Study Abroad Alumni International ("Building a community of global citizens") in Brussels, Belgium.
Cossolotto's Personal Empowerment Trilogy: Reach Your Peak Potential
The Joy of Public Speaking is the first book in Cossolotto's personal empowerment trilogy. Two more books are coming soon. One highlights the seven essential habits of SUCCESS and another promotes the power of promises with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series. Cossolotto’s books and related coaching and speaking programs feature a unique combination of three interconnected “power tools”—Speaking, Habits, and Promises. All support Cossolotto’s long-term mission: To help millions of people around the world achieve their dreams, keep their promises, and reach their peak potential—on and off the podium.
Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks)
As a guest speaker and workshop leader, Cossolotto has created a series of Personal Empowerment Programs (PEPTalks). Audiences have included schools, NGOs, corporations, and government agencies. His workshops combine lectures, lively discussion, and experiential learning and can be integrated into your organization's ongoing leadership development and management training programs.
Cossolotto’s Top Three PEPTalks are available as keynotes and half-day workshops/webinars:
- The Joy of Public Speaking: Turn Stage Fright into Stage Delight and Speak Your Way to the Peak
- Harness Your HabitForce: The Seven Steps to SUCCESS
- The Power of a Promise: Make A Promise. Keep Your Word. Change Your Life. Transform The World.