SPRING 2022 / REAL-LEADERS.COM 67 James Rosebush is founder of the Intersection Impact Fund, a best-selling author, speaker, and CEO of GrowthStrategy, a corporate advisory firm. He managed the Reagan White House Office on Impact and has a personal passion for coaching executives to speak like Ronald Reagan. He has also enjoyed unique access to Queen Elizabeth II, from which he has learned much about leadership. Here is a practice that will make you more confident, present, and connected with your audience. The key is to focus on flow — energy flow that helps us focus on the message and not our ego. Before you go on stage or speak to a small group, center yourself and your thoughts away from the craziness of the day and the demands around you. Ground yourself on a rock of confidence that your message is essential and of value and that you are the unique and chosen carrier of a message that will help your audience. Stand still for a few moments and let physical energy (also known as anxiety) flow out. Replace it with a flow connected with your audience. Feel a sense of calm — even if your message is dire. Stop for a moment and look out at your audience with gratitude and compassion. Then proceed to tear down that fourth wall — the invisible, imagined wall that separates actors from the audience — and start building bridges. You can do this! Feel the flow. STORYTELLING It’s sometimes intimidating, isn’t it? I’ve had that feeling too — and miss the satisfaction that comes from audience feedback. It’s all the more reason to talk to yourself, confirm your confidence, and affirm that your message, content, and stories are designed specifically for your particular audience. In cases where you speak to remote audiences, you have to become both the speaker and the audience. Listen to your voice and stories and enjoy them yourself. If you’re not, then you’d better change what you’re sharing. Afterwards, assume that your presentation went well. Don’t suffer over it. Do your best and move on. Don’t accumulate a debris of guilt over unknown responses. I’ve experienced this before, thinking my presentation was a flop, only to discover weeks later from someone how much they appreciated it and used the lessons in my speech in their lives. Presenting to remote audiences strengthens one’s resolve. n IT’S BECOME DIFFICULT TO GAUGE THE MOOD OF MY AUDIENCE AT ONLINE EVENTS, AS THERE IS NO APPLAUSE OR LAUGHTER FROMMUTED ATTENDEES. HOW CAN I AVOID THE FEELING THAT I’M TALKING TO MYSELF? WHAT MENTAL VISUALIZATIONS CAN I USE WHEN SPEAKING TO RELAX AND KEEP MYSELF ON TRACK? SUBSCRIBE Our free weekly Words of Wisdom email gives regular speaking tips: Real-Leaders.com/subscribe Speak with Impact GETTY IMAGES
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