Six Steps To Overcome Fear Of Public Speaking

“You’re up in 5.”

Your heart races. Your palms sweat. You try to remember your opening line, but your brain is suddenly as blank as the slides you forgot to check one last time.

Whether it’s a team meeting, client presentation, or industry panel, few workplace moments feel as vulnerable as public speaking. And yet, those moments—when all eyes are on you—can also become the most powerful catalysts for career growth, visibility, and influence.

But what if you’re not a “natural” speaker? What if the idea of public speaking makes you want to disappear into your ergonomic office chair?

Let’s reframe the fear and reclaim your voice.

Why Public Speaking Matters (Even If You’re Not in a “Speaking Role”)

You might not be aiming for TED just yet. But public speaking in the workplace shows up in more ways than we often realize:

Presenting at meetings or town halls
Leading workshops or onboarding sessions
Sharing project updates with leadership
Contributing at industry events
Advocating for your team or ideas in cross-functional discussions

Here’s the thing: speaking up—clearly, confidently, and with purpose—signals leadership potential. A doctoral research study found that people who communicate with clarity and confidence are more likely to be perceived as competent, trustworthy, and promotable, even if they don’t hold the highest rank in the room.

So, if you’re trying to grow your career, build influence, or lead from where you are, getting comfortable with public speaking isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s a professional accelerator.

You don’t have to be the loudest. Or the most polished. You just have to be willing to speak.

Reframing the Fear: It’s Not About You

Fear of public speaking is often rooted in one word: judgment. We worry about being boring, forgetting our words, sounding inexperienced, or being exposed as someone who doesn’t belong.

But here’s the reframe: public speaking isn’t about you. It’s about your audience. Your job isn’t to perform. It’s to serve. To inform, inspire, clarify, persuade, or connect.

That shift—from “How will I look?” to “How can I help?”—isn’t just a mindset trick. It’s a grounding principle that lowers your stress and elevates your delivery.

When your focus moves from perfection to contribution, fear loses its grip.

Small Steps to Big Impact: Building Your Confidence Muscle

Confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s built—through practice, preparation, and purposeful mindset shifts.

Here’s how to start, even if you’re starting scared:

1. Start Small, Speak Often

You don’t need a keynote to practice. Speak up in team meetings. Volunteer to present a project summary. Lead a quick update in a working group. The more you speak, the more natural it becomes.

Treat each micro-moment as a rep. You’re building the muscle.

2. Script the First 30 Seconds

The first few lines are when nerves peak. Script your opening and practice it until it feels like muscle memory. Once you’re through the intro, your brain usually catches up.

3. Practice Out Loud (Not Just in Your Head)

Reading silently doesn’t prepare your voice or pacing. Practice aloud in front of a mirror, record yourself, or rehearse with a trusted friend. You’ll catch awkward phrasing—and build fluency.

4. Use Stories and Structure

People don’t remember bullet points. They remember stories. So ground your talk in a relatable scenario or experience, then layer insights using a simple structure (problem > insight > takeaway works well).

Stories help you remember your content too.

5. Breathe. Pause. Repeat.

A nervous speaker speeds up. A confident one owns the space between words. Learn to pause, breathe, and let key points land. Silence is not your enemy—it’s your ally.

What If You Blank Out?

You will, at some point. Everyone does. Instead of panicking, try this:

Acknowledge: “Let me pause for a moment to regroup.” It buys you time and shows poise.
Recap: “So far, we’ve covered…” to reset both your mind and your audience.
Redirect: Ask a question or shift to your next point. Most people won’t notice the derail.

The goal isn’t to be flawless; it’s to be human, prepared, and in service of your message.

The Confidence Myth (And the Truth That Replaces It)

You may think confident speakers feel no fear. But the truth is many of the best still feel nervous every single time. The difference? They act with the fear, not after it disappears. That’s what real confidence is: courage in motion.

You don’t need to wait until you “feel ready.” You need to start moving through the discomfort, trusting that each step makes the next one easier.

And that every time you speak—whether to five people or fifty—you’re showing yourself (and others) what you’re capable of.

Reflect + Apply: Your Next Step

So, what’s your next micro-moment of public speaking?

A comment in the next team sync?
A short presentation to your cross-functional peers?
Saying yes to a panel or brown bag session?

Choose one. Prepare for it. Speak into it. Then reflect on what went well. Because every time you use your voice, you expand your influence and redefine what’s possible for your career.