Public Speaking for Leaders and Executives: Speak with Confidence, Influence, and Authority

Public Speaking

18 Oct

Liam Sandford

Liam Sandford is a public speaking coach, marketing leader, and 2x best-selling author, including the book Effortless Public Speaking. He helps introverted professionals and leaders take control of public speaking anxiety and use speaking to market themselves, build influence, and communicate with impact.

Learn more about Liam

Public speaking is one of the most critical skills a leader or executive can develop. Strong communication allows you to inspire teams, influence stakeholders, and position your organisation for success. Whether you are presenting to your board, leading an all hands meeting, pitching a new initiative, or speaking at a conference, confident and structured communication sets you apart.

Many leaders assume effective public speaking is a natural talent. The truth is that it is a skill built through preparation, clarity, and practice. Leaders who master public speaking for managers and executives understand how to communicate with middle management, align their organisation, and influence externally, all while projecting authority and authenticity.

This guide provides actionable strategies for executives to communicate effectively, structure presentations for maximum impact, and deliver messages that resonate with any audience.

Why Public Speaking Matters for Leaders and Executives

Public speaking is essential for leadership. Your ability to articulate strategy, motivate teams, and inspire confidence directly affects your organisation’s performance and reputation. Good communication strengthens relationships with employees, board members, clients, and external stakeholders.

For leaders, public speaking is not about performance. It is about influence, clarity, and connection. It helps ensure that teams understand their objectives, that strategies are implemented efficiently, and that stakeholders trust your vision. Leaders who communicate effectively consistently outperform peers, foster engagement, and create lasting organisational impact. If you want your team to improve their public speaking skills, check out the Ultimate Guide to Public Speaking.

It’s Not About You or Your Organization

Public speaking is not about you. It’s about your audience. Your listeners are not focused on your achievements or your company, they care about what you can do for them, and how what you say impacts them. They don’t actually care about you or your organization.

It’s easy as a leader to get stuck in promotion mode but to get the most out of public speaking you must shift your focus from self promotion to solving problems, providing insights, or offering guidance. Tailor examples, data, and stories to the audience’s perspective. For instance, when presenting to clients, emphasise outcomes that benefit them directly. When speaking to employees, highlight how your message supports their goals or makes their work easier.

By centering your audience, you create relevance, increase engagement, and make your message memorable. The more you focus on their needs, the more authority and trust you naturally project. This will create more impact for you and your organization.

How to Prepare for Presentations Effectively as a Leader

Preparation is the foundation of executive public speaking. The clarity and confidence you display begin long before you stand in front of an audience. Effective preparation involves understanding your audience, defining your key message, and structuring your presentation to inform, persuade, or inspire.

Understand Your Audience

Different audiences have different needs. Board members may want concise strategic insights, operational teams may need clear instructions, and clients may focus on benefits and outcomes. Tailoring your message ensures relevance and maximises impact.

Consider knowledge level, priorities, and potential concerns. For instance, when presenting a quarterly business review, executives will want high level KPIs and actionable insights, while department managers may need context and guidance to implement recommendations. Understanding your audience allows you to choose the right language, examples, and data to support your message.

Define Your Key Message

Every executive presentation should have a single core message. This message acts as an anchor for all content. Ask yourself what you want your audience to remember most. Everything in your presentation should support this message. You must be able to deliver your main point in one sentence. If you can’t do that you aren’t clear enough, and if you aren’t clear it will be difficult for your audience to understand. Once you have delivered your key message, you then back it up with data, examples or stories which should be the bulk of your presentation.

For example, if you are introducing a new product strategy, your key message might be: “Investing in digital solutions will increase market share by 20% over the next year.” Each slide, story, or example should reinforce this point, ensuring clarity and retention.

Create an Outline

Avoid writing a full script. Instead, develop a clear outline with bullet points for each section. This keeps your presentation structured and allows flexibility. Using the Nano Speech Framework is highly effective: start with an engaging opening, deliver the body with evidence and stories, and finish with a strong, actionable close.

Outlines prevent robotic delivery and reduce anxiety if you forget exact wording. They also allow you to adjust based on audience reactions without losing track of the key message.

How to Communicate with Your Middle Managers

Middle managers are the bridge between executive leadership and operational teams. Effective communication with them ensures alignment, clarity, and engagement across the organisation.

Prioritise Clarity and Actionable Insight

Middle managers balance multiple priorities. Communicate in a way that is precise and actionable. Clearly define objectives, expected outcomes, and timelines. For instance, rather than saying, “Improve client satisfaction,” specify, “Reduce client complaints by 15% over the next quarter through weekly feedback sessions.”

Explaining the rationale behind initiatives also matters. When managers understand why a task is important and how it connects to broader goals, they are more likely to motivate their teams and take ownership of results.

Share the Big Picture

Middle managers perform better when they understand the larger organisational strategy. Linking team objectives to company goals fosters engagement and accountability. For example, when rolling out a sustainability initiative, explain how individual department contributions directly affect environmental targets and organisational performance.

Providing context empowers managers to make informed decisions independently, reduces the need for micromanagement, and builds trust in leadership.

Encourage Two Way Dialogue

Two way communication is essential. Encourage questions, feedback, and insights from managers. This surfaces potential issues early, keeps leadership informed, and promotes collaboration.

Regular check ins, team meetings, and open door policies facilitate dialogue. Listening attentively to concerns and suggestions reinforces respect and ensures managers feel valued.

How to Communicate Effectively Across Your Organisation

Communicating with an entire organisation is a leadership challenge. Messages must be clear, consistent, and engaging to maintain alignment, morale, and organisational culture.

Tailor Messages to Different Teams

Teams have unique priorities and communication styles. Senior leaders may prefer high level data and strategic vision, while operational employees need instructions and context. Adapting your content ensures relevance and engagement.

For example, when launching a digital transformation, executives may focus on ROI and efficiency, while employees need practical guidance on using new tools and workflows.

Use Storytelling to Explain Strategy

Stories make abstract concepts tangible. Case studies, examples, or anecdotes illustrate strategy in action. If introducing a new system, share a department success story to highlight benefits. Storytelling increases understanding, retention, and emotional connection.

Reinforce Messages Through Multiple Channels

Effective internal communication uses repetition across formats. Combine emails, intranet posts, town halls, and presentations to reach diverse audiences. Consistency in tone, content, and visuals builds trust and ensures clarity.

How to Use Public Speaking to Showcase Thought Leadership Externally

Public speaking is one of the most powerful tools leaders have to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Speaking at conferences, webinars, or public forums allows executives to share insights, demonstrate expertise, and influence opinions beyond their organisation. When done effectively, it strengthens personal credibility, elevates the company brand, and attracts opportunities for partnerships, speaking engagements, and media coverage.

Understand Your External Audience

Successful thought leadership starts with understanding your audience. Investors, clients, industry peers, media, and potential collaborators all have unique priorities. Investors are interested in strategic direction and financial performance. Clients want insight into solutions and industry trends. Media representatives look for clarity, relevance, and originality.

Tailoring your message ensures that your ideas resonate. Research industry trends, audience expectations, and common pain points. Align your content to provide insights that are actionable and memorable. When you speak with relevance and authority, your audience perceives you as a trusted voice rather than just a company representative.

Use Insights, Stories, and Evidence to Establish Authority

Data alone can be abstract and uninspiring. Thought leaders combine data with stories, case studies, and examples to make insights tangible. Share lessons learned from initiatives, demonstrate innovative problem solving, or illustrate trends with real world evidence.

For example, if your company implemented a sustainability initiative that reduced carbon emissions, describe the strategy, the challenge, the results, and the wider industry implications. This positions you as a forward thinking leader and reinforces credibility while providing valuable lessons to the audience.

Storytelling also helps make complex ideas digestible. By framing your insights within a narrative, you create a clear takeaway that audiences can remember and share, amplifying your impact as a thought leader.

Maintain Consistency Across Channels

Thought leadership relies on consistency. Your ideas should be coherent across presentations, public interviews, webinars, and social media. Align your messaging with organisational values while reflecting your personal expertise and vision.

Coordinate with communications or PR teams to ensure consistent messaging and branding. Repeated, consistent communication builds trust, reinforces authority, and makes your voice recognisable in your industry.

Engage Your Audience and Encourage Dialogue

Effective thought leaders do more than speak, they engage. Ask questions, invite discussion, or respond to comments thoughtfully. Engaging your audience demonstrates openness, confidence, and mastery of your subject.

Listening to feedback and responding with insight also strengthens credibility. It shows that your ideas are not only informed but also adaptive and relevant to the audience’s needs. Thought leadership is as much about dialogue and influence as it is about presentation.

Focus on Delivering Actionable Insights

Your public speaking should leave the audience with clear, actionable takeaways. Thought leadership is not simply about sharing ideas but providing perspectives that others can apply. Whether presenting at a conference or in a media interview, highlight trends, lessons, or strategies that position your expertise as practical and forward thinking.

By consistently combining relevance, storytelling, engagement, and actionable insights, leaders can use public speaking to establish themselves as authoritative voices and elevate both their personal brand and their organisation’s profile.

Bad Corporate Presentation Skills Leaders Need to Unlearn

Even experienced leaders can develop habits that reduce the impact of their presentations. These habits often go unnoticed but can weaken authority, disengage the audience, and reduce clarity. Recognizing and correcting these behaviours is critical for executives who want to communicate effectively, influence stakeholders, and position themselves as thought leaders.

Overloading Slides with Text or Data

One of the most common mistakes in corporate presentations is using slides as a script. Dense text, excessive bullet points, or large data tables can overwhelm the audience and divert attention from the speaker. Slides should support your ideas, not replace your speech. Use visuals, graphics, or short phrases to reinforce key points. Keep slides clear and simple to ensure the audience focuses on your message rather than reading the screen.

Speaking Too Fast or Monotonously

Delivery matters as much as content. Speaking too quickly or in a monotone reduces comprehension and engagement. Leaders should vary tone, pace, and emphasis to maintain attention and authority. Strategic pauses highlight important points and give the audience time to absorb key information. Practising vocal variation allows you to convey enthusiasm, seriousness, or urgency at the right moments, making your presentations more compelling.

Using Excessive Jargon

Corporate environments often encourage technical language, acronyms, or industry specific terminology. While this may feel professional, overusing jargon can confuse audiences outside your immediate team. Simplify language while maintaining accuracy. Focus on clarity and relatability to ensure your message resonates across departments, stakeholders, and external audiences.

Reading Directly from Notes or Slides

Relying on notes or slides for word for word delivery reduces authenticity and engagement. When leaders read verbatim, they risk sounding robotic and losing connection with the audience. Instead, use an outline or key points to guide delivery. This approach encourages natural interaction, allows flexibility to adapt to audience reactions, and maintains confidence even if something unexpected occurs.

Scripting Your Presentation: Why Memorizing Hurts Your Delivery

Fully scripting a presentation can feel safe, but it often backfires. Memorizing word for word puts unnecessary pressure on memory. If you forget a line, panic can derail the delivery, and the connection with your audience suffers. Using the Nano Speech Framework allows leaders to focus on structuring their message rather than memorising it. Understanding key points, examples, and stories is far more effective than reciting a script.

Avoid the 10/10/10 Structure: Keep Presentations Engaging

Many corporate leaders rely on the 10/10/10 structure: 10 minutes on the agenda, 10 minutes delivering the message, and 10 minutes concluding. This approach is disengaging because it repeats content unnecessarily and extends presentations without adding value. Instead, focus on delivering clear, concise messages once. The Nano Speech will help you avoid this (more on the Nano Speech in the next section of this article).

Don’t Hide Behind the Podium

Standing behind a podium can create a physical barrier that limits connection with the audience. Leaders who step forward appear approachable, confident, and in control. Moving away from the podium allows better eye contact, more natural gestures, and a stronger sense of trust. Physical presence reinforces authority and encourages audience engagement.

Opening with a Joke Can Backfire

Starting with a joke is tempting but risky. Comedy is difficult, and if the joke falls flat, it can distract from your message or alienate part of your audience. The primary goal of a presentation is to communicate ideas effectively, not to entertain. Instead, open with a compelling fact, story, or question that immediately highlights your expertise and relevance.

Filling Time is a Mistake: Less is More

Trying to fill every minute with words often dilutes your message. Concise, focused delivery communicates authority and keeps the audience engaged. If a presentation is allocated 15 minutes, delivering the same value in 10 minutes is often more impactful than stretching content to fit a timeframe. Prioritize clarity over duration, and always aim to leave the audience with a memorable takeaway.

PowerPoint is Not Your Prompt

PowerPoint should support your speech, not drive it. Many leaders spend excessive time perfecting slides while neglecting the spoken message. Using slides as a prompt often results in reading bullet points, which disengages the audience. Prepare your speech first, ensuring your ideas are clear and compelling, then use slides to reinforce, not replace, your voice.

Stop Taking Bad Advice: Find Public Speaking Guidance That Works

Not all advice is helpful. Guidance from colleagues, marketing, or other members of your leadership team may be well intentioned but ineffective. Seek advice from experienced public speaking coaches, authoritative books, or proven resources. Effective guidance focuses on actionable strategies, audience engagement, and authentic delivery rather than traditional corporate habits like bullet point slides.

How to Use the Nano Speech Framework as a Leader

Leaders face high stakes when speaking publicly. Whether presenting to your board, addressing your organisation, or speaking at an industry event, the way you structure and deliver your message determines how well it is received. The Nano Speech Framework provides a simple, flexible, and powerful structure that helps leaders communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.

The Nano Speech Framework for Public Speaking

The 3 Part Structure: Open, Body, Close

The Nano Speech divides any talk into three essential components: the Open, the Body, and the Close. Each part has a clear purpose, enabling leaders to craft concise, memorable, and actionable presentations.

1. The Open: Capture Attention and Establish Authority

Your opening sets the tone. Leaders should begin by connecting to the audience’s interests, concerns, or goals. You can start with a thought provoking question, a compelling statistic, or a short story that illustrates the importance of your topic.

For example, a CEO discussing digital transformation might open with:

“Did you know that 70 percent of companies that fail at digital transformation cite poor communication as the main reason? Today, I want to show you how our strategy addresses that challenge and positions us for success.”

A strong Open grabs attention, establishes authority, and signals relevance. Avoid long introductions or organizational agendas at this stage, the audience needs to know immediately why your talk matters.

2. The Body: Deliver the Core Message Clearly

The Body is where you present the main ideas and supporting points. Leaders should distill their message into one clear sentence before building out examples, data, or stories. Every point should reinforce this central idea.

For instance, if the goal is to encourage innovation in your organisation, your key message might be: “Small, cross functional experiments drive meaningful change faster than top down initiatives.” Each example or case study in your Body should support that core principle.

Use conversational language and concrete examples. Avoid jargon heavy explanations, and present data visually or narratively to make it more accessible. Leaders should also anticipate questions or objections, integrating clarifications into the Body so the audience stays engaged and confident in your insights.

3. The Close: Leave a Lasting Impression

The Close is your opportunity to make your message stick. Leaders should summarise key points succinctly and provide a clear call to action or reflection. For instance:

“By embracing small, collaborative experiments, we empower our teams, accelerate innovation, and achieve measurable results. I challenge each of you to pilot one cross functional project this quarter.”

A strong Close ensures the audience leaves with a clear understanding of your message and next steps. It reinforces authority, inspires confidence, and encourages action, whether in internal meetings, conferences, or external events.

Why the Nano Speech Works for Leaders

The Nano Speech Framework is particularly effective for executives because it balances structure with flexibility. It provides a roadmap to guide content without forcing memorisation, allowing leaders to adapt in real time to audience reactions.

It also ensures clarity under pressure. High stakes presentations often trigger stress or unexpected questions. With a Nano Speech structure, leaders can stay focused, recover gracefully from interruptions, and maintain authority while delivering a memorable message.

How to Communicate with Impact in Your Next Public Speaking Gig

Every public speaking opportunity offers executives a chance to inspire, influence, and demonstrate leadership presence. Whether addressing your organisation, clients, or industry peers, the effectiveness of your delivery can shape perception, motivate action, and reinforce your authority. Maximizing impact requires careful preparation, a clear structure, and polished delivery techniques that resonate with audiences at all levels.

Start with Clarity and Authority

The opening of your talk sets the stage for everything that follows. Executives should begin with a compelling statement, striking statistic, or relevant story that immediately establishes credibility and relevance. A strong opening signals that you are confident, informed, and focused on delivering value to your audience.

For example, a CFO presenting an annual financial update might start with:

“In the past year, our company reduced operational costs by 15 percent while increasing customer satisfaction scores by 20 percent. Today, I want to show you how we achieved this and what it means for our next phase of growth.”

By starting with a clear achievement or impactful insight, you immediately position yourself as authoritative. This opening also gives the audience a reason to pay attention, making them more receptive to your subsequent points.

Deliver a Structured and Memorable Body

The core of your presentation should communicate your key message in a structured and digestible way. Using the Nano Speech Framework ensures clarity:

Organise key points logically: Break complex topics into three main points. This prevents information overload and makes it easier for audiences to follow.
Support with evidence and examples: Use data, case studies, or short anecdotes to illustrate points. For instance, a product leader might share a customer story to demonstrate the real world impact of a new initiative.
Speak naturally and professionally: Avoid sounding rehearsed. Use conversational language while maintaining authority. This balance keeps your audience engaged and connected.

A structured body not only makes your content easier to understand but also reinforces your credibility, showing that you are prepared, thoughtful, and clear on your objectives.

Use Tone, Pace, and Pauses Strategically

How you say something can be as important as what you say. Executives should vary tone, pace, and strategically use pauses to sustain attention and reinforce key messages.

Tone: Use a warm, confident tone to demonstrate approachability and authority. Shift tone to convey excitement, concern, or urgency where appropriate.
Pace: Slow down when emphasising critical insights, speed up slightly during engaging anecdotes or storytelling, and avoid a flat, uniform delivery.
Pauses: Strategic pauses after key points allow your audience to absorb information and create moments of reflection. Pauses also communicate confidence and control over the material.

These techniques prevent monotony, enhance comprehension, and make your talk more memorable.

End with a Strong Close

The closing of your presentation should leave a lasting impression. A powerful close reinforces your key message, summarises essential points, and encourages action or reflection.

Summarise concisely: Highlight the three main takeaways so the audience leaves with a clear understanding of your message.
Call to action: Encourage decision making, next steps, or a reflective thought that aligns with your objectives.
Memorable statement or story: End with a relevant anecdote, quote, or statistic that reinforces your authority and resonates emotionally with the audience.

A strong closing ensures that your talk is remembered, positions you as a credible leader, and drives tangible outcomes.

Engage Your Audience Throughout

Interaction keeps audiences attentive and reinforces connection. Executives should include opportunities for engagement, even in formal presentations:

Ask thoughtful questions: Prompt reflection or discussion relevant to your topic.
Solicit input or feedback: Use polls, hand raises, or brief group exercises to involve your audience.
Incorporate real time examples: Respond to audience reactions with tailored insights or clarifications.

Active engagement creates a dynamic atmosphere, making your presentation feel less like a monologue and more like a dialogue. This not only improves retention but also strengthens relationships and influence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can executives deliver high stakes presentations confidently?

Confidence in high stakes presentations comes from a combination of preparation, clarity, and deliberate practice. Start by defining the key message you want your audience to remember. Break your talk into the Nano Speech structure: an engaging opening, a structured and evidence backed body, and a compelling closing. Rehearse out loud multiple times, focusing on pacing, tone, and gestures rather than memorizing word for word.

Visualization techniques, such as imagining a smooth delivery and positive audience reactions, can also reduce anxiety. Finally, plan for contingencies and potential questions so that you are ready to respond naturally under pressure. Executives who prepare thoroughly transform nervous energy into authoritative performance.

How should corporate presentations be structured for maximum impact?

For executives, structure is the backbone of a persuasive presentation. The Nano Speech Framework provides a simple yet highly effective structure: begin with a strong opening that grabs attention and establishes credibility, followed by a body that logically develops your main message with supporting evidence, examples, and anecdotes. End with a closing that reinforces the key takeaway and encourages reflection or action. Using this framework ensures clarity, prevents information overload, and helps your audience retain the message. Incorporating smooth transitions and signposting during the talk further guides listeners, making complex or technical content accessible and engaging.

How can leaders make data heavy presentations engaging?

Data is critical for decision making but can be overwhelming if presented without context. Executives should combine quantitative information with real-world examples, case studies, or anecdotes to make numbers meaningful. Highlight the implications of the data, such as how it impacts business decisions, performance, or customer outcomes. Use visuals strategically: charts, graphs, or infographics that clearly show trends and comparisons. Avoid dense tables or slides overloaded with figures. Storytelling and interpretation turn raw data into actionable insights that engage your audience and demonstrate your expertise as a leader.

How does public speaking for managers enhance leadership influence?

Strong public speaking skills significantly enhance leadership influence by improving communication clarity and credibility. Leaders who communicate effectively build trust within their teams, align employees around objectives, and inspire confidence in stakeholders. Being able to articulate strategy, share vision, or explain decisions clearly ensures that teams understand priorities and act cohesively. Effective speaking increases visibility and authority within the organization, allowing leaders to shape culture, influence decision making, and reinforce their professional brand. Public speaking is a leadership multiplier that strengthens relationships and drives business outcomes.

How can leaders prepare for public speaking effectively with little time?

When time is limited, preparation must be focused and efficient. Start by clarifying your key message and the main takeaway you want your audience to remember. Use the Nano Speech Framework to quickly structure your talk into an engaging opening, a concise body with supporting examples, and a clear closing. Prioritize the most impactful points and eliminate any unnecessary content to stay concise.

Rehearse strategically by practising only the opening and key transitions out loud, as these are the moments most likely to affect audience perception. Use bullet points or cue cards rather than a full script to maintain flexibility and natural delivery.