The Leadership Skill Many Avoid (But Can’t Afford To): Presenting 

For many managers and leaders, presenting isn’t just another skill. It’s the one they quietly hope to avoid. Yet it shows up everywhere from Team briefings to Stakeholder updates through to strategy sessions and reporting results.  

Here’s a truth bomb: confidence doesn’t come before doing it. It comes because you do it. 

Why leaders need to get comfortable with presenting 

Presenting isn’t about performance; it’s more about your influence. If you can’t clearly communicate your thinking: 

• Your ideas don’t land  

• Your team lacks direction  

• Your stakeholders lose confidence  

So what makes a strong presenter?  They are not just “good speakers”, what they do is to create clarity, build trust and move people to act. So how can you improve your skills and engage your audience?

Firstly, think about how you feel about presenting. 

Most people don’t struggle with the presentation content instead they struggle with what’s going on internally. You might recognise some of these thoughts: 

• I’ll embarrass myself  

• I’ll clam up  

• I’ll lose my place  

• I won’t know the answer  

• I’ll go bright red  

• I’ll start sweating or shaking  

• The tech won’t work  

• I hate the sound of my own voice  

These aren’t signs you’re not capable, they are signs your ‘chimp’ brain thinks you’re under threat. You can read the ‘Chimp Paradox’ by Prof Steve Peters to dig deeper into this theory.  

Let’s look at how to make a powerful shift and learn to work with the nerves. 

Reframing the feeling 

Instead of trying to “get rid” of nerves, try this: 

• Nerves = energy you can use  

• Preparation = confidence in disguise  

• Structure = your safety net  

Remember, even the most experienced presenters still feel nervous, the difference is they’ve just learned how to prepare well and channel the nerves. 

Now we’ve grasped the concept of overcoming nerves, let’s get practical and work on the presentation itself.

Building a presentation that works 

Before you open PowerPoint, ask yourself: What outcome do I want to achieve? 

Be clear on what you want your audience to: 

• Think  

• Feel  

• Do  

If you don’t define this before you start, your audience won’t leave with it. As we know first impressions last so a strong start does four things: 

A – Get attention
Open with something that makes people listen 

B – Give the benefit
Why should they care about this? 

C – Establish credibility
Why you? Why now? 

D – Set direction
What are you going to cover? Keep this very short and keep people interested in what’s to come.  

Do this well, and the rest of your presentation becomes easier. 

It’s ok to stumble the trick is to stay on track when things wobble. What makes a difference is how you respond: 

• Pause (it feels longer to you than it is)  

• Look at your notes  

• Re-anchor to your key message  

Your audience wants you to succeed and will be patient as they’re not waiting for you to fail. 

Now you’ve successfully delivered your presentation, and you can open up the floor to questions.  

Handling questions with confidence 

Questions can feel like the most exposing part. Here is a simple structure that will help you stay in control: 

T – Thank them for the question
R – Repeat it (so everyone hears)
A – Answer it
C – Clarify if needed
T – Thank them again 

If you don’t know the answer: 

Be honest, as that builds more trust than guessing and offer to follow up (make sure you do to remain credible). 

Practical ways to improve (quick wins) 

• Practice out loud, not in your head  

• Time yourself once  

• Use prompts, not scripts  

• Focus on your key message, not perfection  

• Get comfortable with short pauses  

Most importantly: 

Say yes, when you are asked to present and do it more often. 

Final thought, presenting isn’t a “nice to have” for leaders. It’s how your ideas are brought to life. 

Don’t overthink it as you don’t need to be perfect but you do need to be clear, prepared and willing. That’s what sets apart the leaders who move things forward and the ones people genuinely want to listen to.