Forbes magazine released their list of the richest people in the world and at number three was Warren Buffett. Do you know the story about him and speaking?
Well, back in the day Warren Buffett knew the single greatest skill that would bring value to and grow his company was public speaking—to be able to communicate his vision and his thoughts in front of people.
But he was frightened of public speaking. So he took some training, but you know what he did? He quit. He ran away from the training based on that fear. Eventually, he went back and got through it. Now, he’s the third richest man in the world.
So if that guy is afraid of public speaking, it’s okay for you to be too. I’m afraid of it too. It’s scary. You’re putting yourself at risk. There is no comfort on a stage. Al Pacino put it best:
“I wish that the stage was a tightrope so that only the brave would enter.
Despite his fear, Warren Buffett moved forward. You can too. You just can’t stop based on fear. I don’t care about your fear. I don’t care about my fear. I feel it and go forward despite it. This is what I do for a living—getting people to speak in public. The biggest fight I have is getting people to step on the tightrope, to actually display courage in front of people in real time. That’s bravery.
