When we hear confident leaders speak, we usually want to continue listening to them. They command a certain presence and catch our attention without being overbearing and commanding. We may have even said to ourselves at one time, “I wish I could speak like that, but (fill in the blanks with excuse).” There are many excuses we can use to avoid working on our communication skills – I’m too shy, I’ll do it later, There’s not enough time, I don’t know where to start, I won’t be very good at it anyways. All we’re doing when we make these excuses is holding ourselves back from developing the skills to speak confidently.
You may not be making speeches in front of thousands of people; however, being a confident communicator can help you be more effective at work. It could help you be better at delivering performance feedback or making a presentation to your manager or sharing your ideas at a team meeting. Think about a situation where you would want to improve your communication skills and identify what improvement you would like to make.
Two key ingredients for success that I cannot stress enough are preparation and practice. I know a CEO who is an excellent speaker and always grabs people’s attention and receives thunderous applause. People thought that speaking well was his natural talent. After spending time with him, I found that this assumption was far from the truth. He had been a nervous wreck when he had to make his first public appearance and had to work with a speaking coach and spend hours preparing. What looks completely natural to the rest of us is usually the result of days, weeks, and even months of practice and preparation.
Making the change is going to take time and effort on your part. There’s no quick and easy solution, but there are resources out there to help guide you through your journey.
Check out these books:
Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders by John Baldoni
Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Jerry Weissman
10 Simple secrets of the World‘s Greatest Business Communicators by Carmine Gallo
The Confident Speaker: Beat Your Nerves and Communicate at Your Best in Any Situation – Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase
Check out these articles:
The One Skill They Don’t Teach You in B-School by Carmine Gallo
Thinking on Your Feet by Mind Tools
Communicate Authentically With Others by SUCCESS Magazine