30 Sep 467: Public Speaking Tips for Leaders: 5 Ways to Overcome Nervousness and Speak with More Confidence – A Deep Dive with Dream Think Do Founder Mitch Matthews
What would happen if your phone rang tomorrow and someone invited you to speak at a conference?
Would you immediately say, “YES! Let’s go!”
Or would your heart start racing as you tried to figure out a gracious way to say, “Thanks… but NO THANKS!”
Here’s the thing.
You can be an accomplished leader. You can run meetings every week. You can communicate with your team with confidence. You can even be the person everyone comes to for advice.
AND… the thought of stepping onto a stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people can still freak you out.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak.
It means you’re human.
And… it might just mean you have something important to say.
That’s why we’re digging into THIS topic!
I’ve been a full-time speaker and coach since 2002, and I still use the strategies we’re talking about in this episode before I step up to a microphone… every dang time.
Plus, I’ve been working with more leaders, executives and entrepreneurs who are getting opportunities to speak as they explore what might be next for them.
And sometimes those opportunities come a LOT sooner than expected!
So in Episode 467, I’m sharing 5 simple, practical and research-backed strategies to help you work WITH nervous energy instead of letting it work against you.
Whether you’re speaking to 2 people, 20 people or 2,000 people, these strategies can help you be more present, more confident and more YOU.
And maybe even have some FUN while you’re at it!
WHAT WE COVER
We’re going to walk through these strategies on a timeline, starting with what you can do minutes before speaking and working backward to how you can prepare days or weeks ahead.
We’ll talk about:
- A surprisingly simple thing you can do MINUTES before speaking to help your body relax
- How to use visualization to prepare for connection instead of feeding your anxiety
- One easy strategy to do about an HOUR before speaking that’s incredibly easy to overlook
- Why high achievers can actually OVER-prepare for a presentation (and how to avoid it)
- The difference between having a “script” and having a “map” for your message
- Why focusing on one simple thing will take your ability to perform to the next level
- What ripping my pants in front of 400 people taught me about connecting with an audience
- How I followed a world-renowned hacker who had just scared the living daylights out of an entire conference… and what it taught me about delivering when the stakes are high
Some of these strategies might sound almost TOO simple.
But that’s part of the point.
You don’t need to completely reinvent yourself to become a more confident speaker.
Sometimes you just need a few tools that help you bring more of who you already are into the room.
MAYBE YOU’RE MORE READY THAN YOU THINK
You don’t have to call yourself a professional speaker.
You don’t have to quit your job.
And you definitely don’t have to reinvent yourself.
You might simply have something you’ve learned that could help somebody else.
That’s worth paying attention to.
Because sometimes an opportunity to share what you know shows up before you feel completely ready.
And THAT’S why it makes sense to start getting ready now.
YOUR 10-MINUTE DREAM THINK DO CHALLENGE
Give yourself 10 minutes and explore three questions:
- What are 3 things you know NOW that you wish you’d known 10 years ago?
- What are 3 stories from your life or career that taught you something important?
- What are 3 topics people regularly ask YOU about?
Don’t build a keynote.
Don’t create a website.
Don’t declare yourself a professional speaker.
Just start noticing.
You may have accumulated more hard-won wisdom than you give yourself credit for.
And some of it might be exactly what somebody else needs to hear.
COULD SPEAKING OR COACHING BE PART OF YOUR NEXT CHAPTER?
Maybe people have been telling you for years:
“You should speak about that.”
“You should coach people on this.”
“You should write a book.”
And maybe there’s a part of you that’s starting to wonder if they’re right.
That’s a big part of why we created Authority Bridge.
It’s designed to help experienced leaders take what they’ve already learned and explore how speaking and coaching could become part of their next chapter… WITHOUT burning down the career and life they’ve already built.
You don’t have to start from scratch.
You get to build from everything you’ve already learned.
Learn more at:
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU!
What’s something YOU know now that you wish you’d known 10 years ago?
What’s a story that taught you something important?
What do people already come to YOU for advice about?
And maybe the bigger question is…
What if there’s a room of people who need to hear it?
Listen to Episode 467, take the 10-minute challenge and then let me know what comes up for you.
Because being nervous about speaking doesn’t mean you shouldn’t speak.
It means you’re human.
And it just might mean you have something important to say.
Keep bringing your awesome!
The world needs it.
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