Has self-doubt ever caused you to ‘not’ speak up at a meeting or event, even where you knew in your heart and soul that your voice should have been heard?

If you said yes, you’re not alone.

Over the years, I’m worked with thousands of seriously smart business leaders and professionals who regularly backed away from situations where they wanted to say something and didn’t.

How come? Why on earth not?

One of the most common reasons was a worry that what they might say ‘wouldn’t be good enough’ – especially if they believed some members of the audience knew more about the topic at hand than they did and/or might be dismissive of their ideas.

How Comparing Yourself to Others Can Rob You of Your Voice

While I regularly talk about how to overcome fears of public speaking in this blog, I want to share some insights with you today that will help you to tackle a specific, insidious source of dented confidence in speaking abilities: ‘Comparing yourself with others’

But first, here’s a little context courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt when he spoke about about ‘the perils of judging yourself versus others’ and ‘the importance of self-belief’:

“Comparison is the thief of joy”, and “Believe you can and you’re half-way there”

Absolutely, on both counts.

If you let comparisons act as a brake to actions you take, you will place more limits on what you believe you can achieve. And, that’s a problem, since (as Margie Warrell put it in her Forbes post ‘Use it or Lose it: The Science of Self-Confidence’):

“It’s been long established that the beliefs we hold – true or otherwise – direct our actions and shape our lives.”

And this brings me to today’s tips:

Why You Need to Back Yourself When You Share Your Voice

Like More Self Confidence in Your Ability to Speak Up?

If you’d like to learn how to boost your confidence as a speaker, so you can create and deliver inspiring and memorable talks to ANY audience, contact me at eobrien@thersc.ie. I’ll be delighted to help you.

Photo Credit: Bart

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