A question that pops up often for new Public Speakers is “Do I Belong?” You go to an annual conference in your niche and you see a ton of great speakers. Their talks were great from beginning to end and they were confident during the entire keynote. As they wrap up and head to the back of the room, there are lines of people following behind ready to purchases a signed autograph of their latest book, which is also a New York Times Best Seller. Maybe I made this up, or maybe you really did witness this. It happens to many upcoming speakers often. They see an established speaker who has been in the game for decades and they immediately question if they even belong. Imposter Syndrome is one of the biggest fears that can stop you from ever attempting to go on the stage or even call yourself a Public Speaker. At the base of the question is a person feeling out of place. Maybe even intimidated. Even the most successful speakers with all the accomplishments and accolades you can think of, may have felt unqualified at one point in time. So if you’ve ever felt that way, you aren’t alone. The person that inspires you most may have felt like that as well early in their career. Dealing with imposter syndrome is more common than you think, but you should never let it defeat you.

Each of us are Public Speakers in some form or fashion. We do it every day, but unfortunately many feel that you have to be on the big stage in front of thousands of people to be deemed a Public Speaker. That’s simply not true. When you are part of group conversations on the job and it’s your turn to talk about what you contributed to the latest project, you are a Public Speaker. When you are representing your company at that annual conference and you may only have a minute or two to talk about what you all do, you are a Public Speaker. When you volunteer to be the boys basketball coach at your local YMCA, you are taking on the role of not only a leader.. but a Public Speaker. You already embody what it takes to become a Public Speaker because you are most likely doing it more often than you think. So many of us constantly already doing it. Before you say you can’t do it, envision that you already are. And take the numbers out of it. You only need to affect one person at a time. If you keep developing and improving your message, word will spread and you’ll grow your following over time. But when starting out, don’t think that you don’t belong because there may be some empty seats.

If you want to build your brand and spread your ideas, Public Speaking is the way to do it. But at the same time, the thought of being a Public Speaker can be one of the most intimidating things you ever have to deal with. Feelings of self-doubt and the constant question of “what if” can get stronger and stronger the closer you get to presentation time. Everybody’s attention is on you and they’ll see every success and mistake. But we often forget that we’re human. And your audience is human. Although you might hold yourself to a high standard, you aren’t beyond feeling those human emotions. There is also a high likelihood you wouldn’t be asked to speak if someone didn’t believe you had something of value to offer. Putting those  two points into perspective can help can manage that “I don’t belong” feeling rather quickly.

Remember, being vulnerable just means that you are aware of what is at stake. It should push you to move with intent and prepare for all scenarios. It shouldn’t scare you into thinking you aren’t worthy enough. Being unsure just means that you could be trying something new, which is what many go a lifetime without ever doing. Many love to stay in their safety zone. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do something because it makes you nervous. If you ever find yourself speaking at a conference or just a regular gig and you feel like you are the best speaker by far, then congrats. You may have gotten a check, but you didn’t grow. You always want to be able to learn from people who are steps ahead of you. You shouldn’t feel intimidated. You should feel inspired. Because at one point, they were in the same position you are currently in, or maybe worse. The only thing is that they got over their fear of feeling like they didn’t belong and kept going. So what’s your excuse? Everyone one has a message to spread. So it doesn’t matter if you see somebody with the same message that’s 10x better than you. It’s all about the perspective you can bring. You belong and your message needs to be heard.

Make your next presentation, your best presentation!

Sincerely,

Julian A. Leonard
(Founder of The JLeonard Group LLC)

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