When you have to speak when the stakes are high

7 Dec 2022 · 0 min

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0:24

This short YouTube coaching clip (by Hadar Shemesh) advises that to build confidence speaking when stakes are high you must deliberately practice in high-stakes contexts — practicing only in low-stakes situations (like with friends) won’t transfer because the fear centers on authority figures or decision-makers. The speaker frames improvement as a conscious decision to speak more despite fear.

If you want to get better at building confidence, at speaking when the stakes are high, you got to speak when the stakes are high. It's not enough that you're going to be speaking with a friend whom you feel comfortable with, because the fear is around people with authority or people who can decide not to work with you. You will have to make a conscious decision that the only way to improve is by speaking more, even though you feel the fear.