by Fatima Sheikh | Mar 28, 2022 | Personal Growth, Personal Life
In 2018, I was lucky to be selected to participate in the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) program for Cohort 6, West Africa. I was super excited and could not wait to show my true leadership skills. Before that, I was already the vice president of my Community Development Service (CDS) group. You might say I was craving leadership roles and all, but you are wrong. I am extremely introverted, a loner who loves her space and privacy. But I thought to myself, what exactly does it feel like doing something new, something out of the box, something I was not comfortable with? And I gave leadership a try; I did not only excel at my YALI program but aced it and was recognized among the top twenty-three participants in the Cohort.
What was my take home from these experiences? A lot and I am willing to share with you. Are you an introvert who loves his/her space just like I do, or on a quest of improving your leadership career? Here are some tips for you.
Tips to Improve Your Leadership Skills
1. Master Public Speaking
This was my biggest fail, during the beginning of my leadership role. I will always have panic attacks before any of the meetings. But constant practise and rehearsal helped me out.
Some people are born public speakers, while others aren’t. Either way, great public speaking skills go a long way in helping you communicate effectively with your team members. Join public speaking clubs like Toastmasters, you will be glad you joined.
2. Learn to Delegate
Being a leader isn’t just about being the boss and carrying out tasks all by yourself. A good leader is always concerned about how the followers carry out dedicated tasks. As a leader, you must guide your followers, educate them, and also delegate tasks to them. Don’t be a jack of all trades and delegates.
This is one of the hows improve your leadership skills
3. Analyze Your Strengths and Weaknesses
We all have our strengths and weaknesses and knowing them and working on them goes a long way in improving our leadership skills.
Take a personality test, ask your friends and family for their honest opinions on your strengths and weaknesses, and then work on them.
4. Get a Mentor
Getting yourself a mention is one of the ways to improve your leadership skills. We all have that one person we aspire to be like. We see ourselves being that person or even better. Get yourself a mentor. Learn from them or ask them to guide you on your journey.
Many are willing to help especially if you are serious-minded.
5. Become Self Disciplined
Just like George Washington said:
Nothing is more harmful to the service than the neglect of discipline; for it is discipline more than numbers that give one army superiority over another.
George Washington
A leader is not a true leader unless he or she possesses self-control and master self-discipline. Every leader or aspiring leader should have a professional order in carrying out their daily activities or assigned tasks. This will go a long way in moulding you to be a refined and respected person.
If you are naturally disorganized or late to work or meetings, build a daily strict regime to help you perform better and stand out from your peers.
Conclusion
Leadership does not only mean leading a town or a nation. You can be a leader in your own home to your siblings, spouse, or children, and having these leadership skills will always come in handy. Fortunately, leadership is learnable, so take courses, read materials or watch your mentors and parents execute their leadership style and learn from them.
Being a better leader is not as difficult as it might appear. With constant practice and hard work, you will achieve your goal of being a better leader.
I hope you find this write-up helpful. If you do, kindly leave a comment for me in the comments section. You could also tell us about any leadership position you have held previously. Thank you.
by Munirah Hashim | Feb 7, 2022 | Personal Growth
The fear of public speaking in its severe form is known as glossophobia. It is a common form of fear among a number of people. The thought of standing and speaking in front of a crowd rips some people apart. Are you one of such persons? If yes, then there is a need to know how to overcome the fear of public speaking. So, read on.
As much as the fear of public speaking is valid, public speaking skills are one of the most important skills one needs in life. This is because, at one point or the other, you would need to speak to a crowd. You want neither yourself nor others to notice you fidget, sweat, or stammer while making your presentation out of fear. As such, overcoming the fear of public speaking is super important.
Common Causes of Fear of Public Speaking
- Negative mindset.
- Being self-conscious.
- Inadequate preparation.
- Fear of ridicule.
- Little or no knowledge about the topic to speak on.
10 Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
1. Have a Positive Mindset
This point is always my number when it comes to overcoming the fear of almost anything. Being positive should not be mistaken for being in denial. Here, you acknowledge that you have this fear but you have a belief that you can work on it. You strongly believe you can be a good public speaker.
You can work on your mindset by having positive self-talk. Tell yourself that you can do it. Encourage yourself. Use positive affirmations like:
“I am a good public speaker “,
“My audience is happy with my message “,
“I can make a good presentation”,
“I love public speaking”, etc.
You can as well visualise yourself giving an excellent speech. Work on this step first before proceeding to the next.
2. Start by Speaking on Areas of Interest
Overcoming the fear of public speaking is not a day’s job. It’s a journey that should begin from somewhere. If you are glossophobic, you can start building your confidence by speaking on topics that interest you.
As you read this, think about an area that sparks your interest. Select some topics that you would love to talk about. Stand in front of your friends and speak on such interesting topics. Get used to talking about those things. When you are used to this, you can easily progress to speaking based on requests which might not be on familiar topics.
I guess you love those who can give impromptu speeches. They started somewhere. So, start talking!
The remaining points are needed as you improve.
3. Know Your Topic
Do you want to know how to overcome the fear of public speaking? Master your topic. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized. Before you can confidently give a speech as you would love to, it’s important to have a good grasp of your topic. What are the expectations? How deep should you discuss the topic? etc. The more you know your topic, the lesser your fear and the more your confidence.
Another importance of knowing your topic is that it helps you anticipate possible questions. Having a firm grasp of your topic makes answering questions after your presentation easy.
4. Know Your Audience
This is as important as knowing your topic. Having prior knowledge of your audience guides your preparations. It enables you to know the kind of persons you would speak to. Also, it gives you clarity on the terms to use in addressing them.
In addition, it helps you anticipate likely questions and attitudes to expect.
5. Adequate Preparation
Prior preparation prevents poor performance. Your confidence is in direct proportion with how much you prepare. In essence, the more prepared you are, the less anxiety you develop.
Write out your presentation and prepare beforehand. Get all the necessary information and resources you need to make a wonderful presentation. Stay organized.
6. Practice and Get Feedback before the D-Day
If you’re on the journey of overcoming the fear of public speaking, your ideal audience shouldn’t be the first to listen to your presentation.
Get used to making your presentation beforehand to a familiar audience. You can do this a day or two before the main event. This audience could be your siblings, friends, spouse, your kids, etc. Ask for honest feedback from them and work on areas of concern. You can do this more than once until you are confident about it.
In the absence of a familiar audience, you can practice before your mirror. You can as well make a video of yourself as you practice. Then listen to yourself. Observe the tone of your voice and the pace at which you speak, and then adjust where necessary.
7. Have a Structure or Outline
This is important in overcoming your fear of public speaking. You might wonder how.
With an outline, you have a guide that would see you through your presentation. Great public speakers also use guides for their presentations. You shouldn’t be an exception. With an excellent structure, you can calmly make your presentation and easily flow from one point to another without difficulty.
You don’t want to just memorize your presentations and get stuck along the line.
8. Breath Mindfully
The fear of public speaking manifests in breathing fast. This affects the pace at which you speak and sends a negative message to your audience. To prevent this, take deep breaths before the presentation of your speech. While presenting, stay conscious of your breath and ensure you’re breathing calmly. You can use deep breaths as your break in between your speech. This helps you maintain a steady composure.
9. Know That Your Audience Trusts You
Maybe no one has told you this. The truth is your audience is there to listen to you. They trust you and your message. This means you should focus on the message you’re passing across. Don’t give too much attention to the audience’s appearance. Some might appear uninterested or distracted; this shouldn’t affect you or make you disappointed.
10. Ask for Feedback as You Progress
Here, you are asking for feedback from your ideal audience. This is one area I don’t joke with. Whenever I give a public speech, I ask at least two persons from my audience to give me feedback.
It takes courage to ask for feedback. And the whole essence is to help you improve. The more you do this, the better and more confident you get.
Additionally, you should consider joining public speaking clubs where you meet like-minded individuals. You can also buy online courses on public speaking or hire a speech coach.
Conclusion
Having known how to overcome the fear of public speaking, you know it is important and can be achieved. However, it should be noted that it wouldn’t happen automatically. You should apply the tips I shared with you above.
Do you have an idea worth sharing with us? The comments section is open.
You could also read on: 10 Tips to Improve Your Presentation Skills.
by Fatima Sheikh | Mar 6, 2021 | Personal Growth
Are we born public speakers or do we have to work on building our public speaking skills? This is the question, many ask. This is also the excuse introverts like me use to hide in their shell. In one of my posts, I wrote briefly about my leadership journey and how leadership roles helped me with my public speaking phobia. Have I become extroverted and less nervous during a public speaking session? The answer is No… But I have learned to build strategies and techniques that help me act more confident and relaxed during public speaking. In this article, I will be sharing with you the best tips for public speaking.
Important Skills that Can Help You Learn How to Become an Effective Speaker
1. Practice More Often
When it comes to public speaking, there are never many times enough for practice. Make it a habit to always practice before any public presentation. Never assume you are good to go. Overconfidence is always the biggest cause of public speaking mishaps.
When practicing my speech, I will stand in front of a mirror and assume I am in front of an audience. Before your next speech, watch pre-recordings of your speeches or practice with a friend or family. Practicing is always the shortcut to a successful public speech.
2. Know Your Audience
One of the biggest blunders speakers always make is to assume different audiences to be the same, thereby using similar speaking strategies for all talk situations. Your speech is about them, not you. Make extensive research on your audience, their age group, ethnics, environment, believes, and laws.
You should not use the same speech technique on elementary school kids with working-class adults who might probably know more than you do. Don’t give a talk on the importance of beef in India. Be lucky if you make it out alive.
3. The Act of Public Speaking Demands You Discover Your Style
In my post on leadership, I emphasized the importance of having a mentor or a guide you aspire to be like. Regardless, ensure you discover your style before emulating a role model. Are you a calm soft-spoken person or an outspoken person with a burst of energy? Make your public speaking style in a manner that goes with that flow. Either way, don’t forget to share some stories and jokes with your audience, this keeps them listening with all attention.
Do what you know will make your speech stand out and feel natural.
4. Be Calm, Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.
Roy T. Bennett
As weird as it might sound, I have built the habit of loving failure because failure is the biggest teacher you can ever have. The word Glossophobia was not invented due to your error, and it simply means the fear of public speaking. This condition affects four out of 10 people. Calm down and don’t beat yourself up for making a mistake, you are not alone on this journey.
Learn from your mistakes and do better the next time. Act calm and confident anytime you miss a word or stutter.
5. Listen to Your Body Language
The stage is all yours and yours alone. Don’t stand still, move around the stage at a calm confident pace. Use your voice and hands naturally. Don’t give out nervous gestures. Don’t stand at the corner of the stage like a wet scared bird, that won’t look good on you. Stand straight, articulate your speech accurately and win over the crowd.
This is one of the tips for public speaking worth noting.
6. Ask for Feedback
During my public speaking sessions at the toastmaster club, the feedback always helped me in my next presentation. The format was Commend-Recommend-Commend style. Constructive feedback and recommendation by your audience will be a great advantage to you to prepare better for your upcoming public speaking sessions.
The audience always sees and observes things you probably missed during your rehearsal.
Conclusion
Consistency is always the key to perfection. There is no easy way out of public speaking. Discipline yourself and make it a habit to practice, learn from books, videos, and great public speakers. Don’t be afraid to fail, practice with friends and families or join public speaking clubs in your town.
These tips I shared will not only change your personality but help you build the unique public speaking techniques that will make you stand out and act confident during a public speaking session.
Finally, were there times you were afraid of speaking in public? If yes, tell us about it and how you overcome it.
