public speaking

more people fear public speaking than death. which means at a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. that's insane, and it's fixable.

why it matters so much

every career accelerator, every leadership role, every moment where you need to move people with words -- it all comes back to the ability to stand up and speak clearly. the person with mediocre ideas and great delivery will consistently outperform the genius who mumbles and avoids eye contact.

public speaking isn't a talent. it's a skill. and like every skill, it's built through practice, not wishing.

the common problems

be honest about which ones apply to you:

you say "um" and "uh" every other sentence because silence terrifies you
your voice gets shaky and thin when you're nervous
you read directly from notes instead of connecting with the audience
you rush through everything because you want it to be over
you avoid it entirely, which means you never improve

every single one of these is fixable with deliberate practice. but you'll never fix them by avoiding the stage.

the toastmasters approach

toastmasters is an international nonprofit specifically designed for this. you show up, you give short speeches, you get honest feedback, and you watch yourself improve. it's not glamorous, but it works.

the structure matters. casual "just practice talking" doesn't cut it. you need an environment where you're speaking to real people, receiving real feedback, and progressively raising the difficulty.

start somewhere

if toastmasters isn't your thing, find any opportunity to speak in front of people. volunteer to present at work. give a toast at dinner. tell a story to a group where everyone is listening. record yourself speaking and watch the playback -- it'll be painful and incredibly informative.

the nervousness doesn't fully go away. it just transforms from panic into energy. and that energy, channeled well, is what makes a great speaker.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.