Building Confidence for Public Speaking in Engineering

11 public speaking "Truths" that are total BS (Plus actionable tips you can use TODAY) After coaching CEOs & corporate leaders Here are the biggest myths: 1/ "Public Speaking is Only for Talented Few" ↳ Lincoln had stage fright ↳ Warren Buffett feared it ↳ Even Beyoncé battled nerves Truth: It's a skill, not a gift. 80% of people fear it. DO THIS: • Start with 2-min talks in team meetings. • Start small in safe settings. 2/ "Audience Always is Judging You" ↳ Most are rooting for you ↳ They see you as courageous ↳ The 10% who judge? That's THEIR insecurity ↳ Secure people don't attack, they support DO THIS: • Expect negative judgment and treat it as math • See it as sign you're stepping out of comfort zone. 3/ "Deep Breathing Fixes Everything" ↳ It's a band-aid ↳ Doesn't fix root causes ↳ Triggers remain unaddressed DO THIS: • Use '5 WHYS Technique' to get to root causes of fears • Getting specific turns vague fear into solvable problem. 4/ "Just Repeat Positive Affirmations" ↳ "I am confident" doesn't work when ↳ Someone whispers during your talk ↳ Your mind races with doubt DO THIS: • Seek help to understand your anxiety patterns • What triggers your anxiety under spotlight?   5/ "Practice Makes Perfect" ↳ I did 3-4 speeches monthly at Toastmasters ↳ Still felt like an imposter ↳ Still feared judgment DO THIS: • Seek expert guidance to address root causes of anxiety • Practice without addressing core fears = waste of time 6/ "Fake-it-till-you-make-it" ↳ Creates Imposter Syndrome ↳ Builds fake confidence ↳ I've met C-suite execs faking it for 30 years ↳ But still waiting to "make it" DO THIS: • Share one personal struggle in next talk • Vulnerability creates genuine connection. 7/ "Memorize Word-for-Word" ↳ Recipe for disaster ↳ Creates mental blocks ↳ Kills authenticity DO THIS: • Master your key points, speak naturally • Like telling a story to a friend. 8/ "Remove ALL Fillers" ↳ Creates more anxiety ↳ Makes you sound robotic ↳ Natural speech has fillers DO THIS: • Focus on message, not perfection • Replace with 'pauses' if too many fillers 9/ "Give a Full Introduction" ↳ "Hi, I'm Dr. Prof..." ↳ "I work at..." ↳ Nobody cares ↳ Start with: What's in it for them? DO THIS: • Start with highlighting your audience's pain point • Hook them with a relvant story. 10/ "Speak Like a CEO" ↳ Why copy others? ↳ Your style is your strength ↳ Focus on your natural voice DO THIS: • List 3 words that describe your natural style • Use these as speaking compass.   11/ Learn from TEDx Speakers ↳ TEDx isn't about speaking skills ↳ It's about ideas worth spreading ↳ Ideas that drive a meaningful change. DO THIS: • Study speakers in YOUR industry. • What works for their audience will likely work for yours. REAL confidence comes from: ✅ Addressing root causes ✅ Embracing your style ✅ Focusing on value ✅ Being unapologetically YOU ♻️ Follow Waqas, P. and share this with your network. 📌 What's your favorite myth or truth? ⬇️

Is public speaking your worst nightmare? For many, the fear of public speaking ranks above the fear of death. Sounds dramatic, right? A couple of weeks ago, an employee asked for my advice on being less anxious and more confident on stage. There is no perfect formula that works for everyone, but I shared what helps me get more present and confident on stage. 1. Remember that the audience is rooting for you. People don’t go to talks hoping to be bored, they go hoping to learn something or to be entertained. If you see people who look like they are not paying attention, often that has more to do with them than with you. 2. Find happy faces and focus on them. There are usually some people in the crowd who are vibing with the talk. When you find them, focus on and deliver the talk to them. As an audience member, it’s hard to know who the speaker is talking to, and it can look weird if the speaker’s gaze is constantly darting around the room. 3. Stand confidently. The audience can sense your energy during the talk. If you are constantly pacing or shuffling, you can look uneasy, which can make you uneasy. Find a position that you feel confident in and own it. How you show up is who they will read your energy. 4. Make clarity your number one goal. It’s easy to set the expectations for yourself out of whack if you compare yourself to an entertainer. An audience can learn a lot from someone who might be nervous but who focuses on making their message as clear as possible. But if you go too far in the direction of entertaining and you don’t have a clear message, nerves can kill the whole talk. The more you build confidence in the clarity of your message, you will be more confident and able to add more jokes and personality. 5. Anxiety is a signal you care. It is normal to feel some nerves before a talk. It signals that you care about the audience and how the message will be received. When you harness that anxiety, it can ultimately drive you to do better and be more prepared, so try it use it that way instead of letting it shut you down. 6. Pick topics you care about. When picking the topic for your talk, find something you genuinely care about. It is very hard to give a great talk about something you don’t genuinely care about. When structuring a talk, focus on putting yourself in a position to speak genuinely about the topic. Bonus: If you are feeling confident and want to take your talk to the next level, you should think about the emotional arcs throughout your presentation. It’s more interesting to watch someone talk through the highs and the lows, than it is to hear only about the highs. Bring us on the journey of your story, or how you found your insights. This is just a start of how to up your presentation game. To my pros out there, what other advice have I missed? What would you say to someone who is starting to hit the talk circuit?

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨. 😬 But I turned that fear into my superpower — and you can too. 🦹 Next month alone, I’m speaking at 13 events, including the University of California, Berkeley, Pear VC, HBS Women's Association, Plug and Play Tech Center, and Ubiquity Ventures. In the past few months, I’ve spoken at Amazon AWS GenAI, Product Leadership Summit, Maven, Guild, and more — some paid, some unpaid; all on topics I deeply care about and have knowledge of and to the audiences that are eager for my thoughts. Now here's the truth: English is my second language. 😍 I came to the U.S. for undergrad, and early in my career, public speaking felt impossible. I vividly remember my first college speech class 🤯 — it took me dozens of tries to deliver a single paragraph. I wasn’t good. Not even close. 🫣 But I had two things: 🔹 An obsession with growth 🔹 A commitment to excellence I wanted to share my ideas with the world — and I refused to let fear or language barriers stop me. ✋ Today, I give keynotes to packed rooms. It feels energizing, even effortless. But behind that “ease” is 20+ years of hard work and hard-won lessons. Here are 5 lessons that helped me become a confident, powerful speaker, especially for those who feel like they’re not “naturals”: 🗣️ 1. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 (or any language)- It's about clear ideas. People don’t remember grammar; they remember impact. Be clear! Be authentic! Say something that matters. 🧘♀️ 2. 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 - use them as fuel. Even the best speakers get butterflies 🦋. Don’t suppress the nerves — channel them into energy and presence. 📚 3. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 - No one’s born a great speaker. You become one by showing up, over and over again. Speak in meetings, on panels, in small rooms or big ones — every rep counts. 🪞 4. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 - Watch it. Learn. Grow. It’s awkward — but incredibly effective. You’ll catch your filler words, pacing, and habits that you’d never notice otherwise. 💬 5. 𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 - People only remember your stories. Data informs. Stories move. Research shows that people forget data but remember the stories. ❓What's been your experience with public speaking? ❓Do you fear it or are you fueled by it? 👉 If you've gotten better with public speaking over time, share your experiences with others below, so they can learn from you. 👉 Share your reaction to this conversation and experiences with public speaking below. #publicspeaking #keynote

Does the thought of public speaking make your palms sweat? You're not alone. Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, impacts over 75% of people - even experienced leaders. This fear can become a significant professional roadblock, hindering career advancement and leadership effectiveness. I've been there myself. Early in my career, I struggled with public speaking. My words would rush out, my body would shake, I would freeze up, and my forehead would bead with sweat. Despite my discomfort, I knew I needed to conquer this fear to progress in my career and amplify my influence. You might be feeling the same way. Maybe you've missed opportunities to share your insights during critical meetings. Perhaps you've seen potential promotions slip through your fingers because you couldn't present your vision convincingly. Or maybe you're holding back from speaking engagements, knowing they could raise your professional profile, but dreading the thought of standing on stage. These missed opportunities can be frustrating and even career-limiting. Your expertise and vision are invaluable, but if you can't communicate them effectively, it's hard to drive change, inspire your team, or influence stakeholders. You're not alone in this struggle, but you don't have to let this fear control your professional journey. To help guide us through this journey, I reached out to my friend Pascalle Bergmans 🧚♀️, the self-proclaimed fairy godmother for public speaking and the Founder & CEO of PresenTales. She shared four transformative tips to elevate your public speaking skills: Tip 1: Use the power of storytelling to take your audience on a journey into YOUR world. Invite them in. Let them see the world through your eyes. Tip 2: Create a clear and powerful vocal identity. This is your vocal ‘fingerprint’ where you master pace, volume, accent, timing, tone, sound, etc. Tip 3: Nerves? Shaky voice? BREATHE. Using diaphragmatic breathing will not only calm down your parasympathetic nervous system, it will help you keep a steady airflow so you sound confident right from the start. Tip 4: TOP TIP: Take up more space than usual. This one can feel counterintuitive, but when you enlarge the space you take up, your dopamine levels will increase and you will look AND feel more confident. I encourage you to follow Pascalle. She shares expert daily content that will help you become a more confident, effective and influential speaker. 👉 What's your best public speaking tip? Share it in the comments. #leadership #management #communication #publicspeaking