Be Human, Be Fun, Be Passionate

Tip – Do speak in public as much as you can. And when you do; be human, be fun and be passionate! ?

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Message for Senior Leaders!?

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You’re up there, you’ve made it, you’re experienced. ?Which means you NEED to be out there speaking in public now, more than ever.

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The advice I gave one of my clients recently…when he was freaking out about speaking in public….

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·????? Be human

·????? Be fun

·????? Be passionate

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And you won’t go far wrong!

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I’ve noticed when I help very senior leaders with speeches and presentations, just like ‘famous’ presenters at the BBC, they often struggle with confidence and anxiety because the stakes feel higher now they are “at the top of their game”.

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My observation is they often over think and over-engineer their scripts in fear of messing up. One CEO told me ?

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“I can’t afford to ?F*** this up…it’s got to be brilliant. I’ve got to nail it.”

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However, ?I know deep down they will get a better result if they take the pressure off, stop trying too hard and give themselves a break.?

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I worry if I say, “go for 80% perfection”, I may get my head bitten off, yet I know that will really help them.

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Having to be in a more public forum (compared to the safety of your desk, tapping away at your do-to list) can be terrifying. I can totally understand why senior leaders get a bit stressed, grumpy and in danger if turning into the “incredible sulk”.?

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I understand they feel paranoid about their reputation and don’t want to look a fool.?

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Which is why I always advise people to practice public speaking before they become the big cheese.

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Talking of big cheeses and big wigs, I have dealt with “tricky talent” live on air for many years and I know how to help them combat their anxiety, let themselves go a little, be themselves and perform to the best of their ability. I’m the queen of ‘re-engineering’ their impossible-to-read- scripts and helping them to find their MOJO!? It’s a trick of mine from years of witnessing people tie themselves up in knots. Plus, I’ve experienced the pressure of “having to be brilliant” myself, like last year’s TEDx talk where I got caught in the over-thinking-over-engineering trap!

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My advice??

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Go back to basics; Stop taking yourself too seriously. ?Remember what the audience needs….they need you to…

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·????? Be human

·????? Be fun

·????? Be passionate

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Stop beating yourself up. No one is 100% confident.? No one is BORN to be a public speaker or appear perfectly camera confident. These are learnt skills.? It’s taken me years to speak in public and create videos for social media (and I still need help).

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So, if you are on track to be a leader (or run your own business), don’t put off your public speaking and video/media appearances any longer. ?Don’t wait to be perfect, don’t over think. And if you need my help, ?give me a shout, I’m here to make your life EASY!? Drop me a line.

#PublicSpeaking #Confidence #PersonalDevelpment