--- title: "Leadership Presence: Why You Need It In Public Speaking" description: Your public speaking always involves leading others. That means you need leadership presence. Here's more on why you have to create some onstage magic! image: https://www.genardmethod.com/hubfs/FREE%20PHOTOS/pexels-photo-1367270.webp --- [![Genard Method Public Speaking Training](https://www.genardmethod.com/hubfs/images/bg-brand.png)](https://www.genardmethod.com/) Search... Search ## Gary Genard's # Speak for Success! > "Be a voice not an echo." **- Albert Einstein** # Leadership Presence: Why You Need It In Public Speaking Oct 13, 2024 by [Gary Genard](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/author/gary-genard) [![Leadership Presence: Why You Need It In Public Speaking](https://www.genardmethod.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FREE%20PHOTOS/pexels-photo-1367270.webp?width=1875&height=1500&name=pexels-photo-1367270.webp)](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/speak-for-leadership-how-to-engage-persuade-and-inspire-any-audience) Your public speaking always involves leading others. That means you need leadership presence. Here's more on why you have to create some onstage magic! To give a speaking performance that’s truly magical, you can’t do it the way a stage magician does—by putting something over on everyone. If anything, you need to do the opposite. You must be authentic, while sharing the truth of your topic so that everyone can see it. In fact, this is the task of a lifetime when it comes to influencing others through public speaking—*your *lifetime. > Ready to speak with poise, presence, and power? You'll learn how in my book, [*Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Leadership Presence*](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/speak-for-leadership-how-to-engage-persuade-and-inspire-any-audience). On [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Leadership-Persuade-Inspire-Audience/dp/173655560X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UUNFECPHUA95&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v2YeZvB9qFmL5Ok2-v9Qi1q82OtEQX4pE9OU0-HQORKyZiwPKC_fEmf-7Uz06S4eej53UsHKS1U4LVfOOwm6Q77gPayOHwdoQse_35lOvJCQ3Jeqg0rpF_obzzUdLlwORo0Cuz37BnfpbKKebtQzs5P29aumXITvQH0F84poepF0bIKhR5-vRFMfgX22eXWOFWMacXIjTEw4WqawZ76Ww-hSmjJEbNc2o8yLy2ADoEw.GbJRl_VLYOkuHIsyrlimXOe0krumQY_3TAzy9rKprB0&dib_tag=se&keywords=speak+for+leadership&qid=1720296856&s=books&sprefix=speak+for+leadership%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1). > > [![Dr. Gary Genard's book on how to achieve leadership presence, Speak for Leadership.](https://www.genardmethod.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SPEAK%20FOR%20LEADERSHIP/Are%20you%20ready-1.png?width=1600&height=900&name=Are%20you%20ready-1.png)](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/speak-for-leadership-how-to-engage-persuade-and-inspire-any-audience) As James A. Whittaker puts it in *The Storyteller’s Spellbook*: Your life and career are spent showcasing yourself, your abilities, ideas, and contributions. . . . Simply put, your ideas and insights mean *nothing* if they cannot be transmitted to others. Without a good story, and the ability to tell it, your skill and passion remain trapped inside you instead of impacting the wider world.   There is a huge difference, Whittaker tells us, “between transmitting facts to an audience and transforming the way people *think.*” Stage presence in fact is a life skill.1 > Learn how to speak as a leader in my Free Ebook, *[High-Impact Speaking: The Leader's Guide to Presenting With Integrity and Influence](https://genardmethod.tradepub.com/free/w_thab41/). *Command the room* and *the stage*!* ### How Presence Can Work For You When You Speak It’s also a form of mindfulness. If you think of it this way, you’ll realize that ‘stage’ presence isn’t limited to being on stage at all. It’s simply a form of being present in performance, and of being *in *the present. The concept of fully occupying the present moment is actually the core idea of mindfulness. You can benefit from this kind of mindfulness in any aspect of your life. That certainly includes communicating with others! Of course, public speaking is where you’re most likely to share your ideas with the largest audiences and gain the highest profile. Develop presence when you speak, and you'll magnify your ability to be present and to impact listeners. And remember, this isn’t a one-way street. Both you as presenter and* *the audience are necessary to create presence. Having people around you who are fully in the moment brings YOU into the present. That means that the back-and-forth that takes place when you speak before *any *audience is a custom-made format for achieving leadership presence!   > Is fear of public speaking hindering your leadership potential? Get the help you need in my book, [*Fearless Speaking*](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/fearless-speaking-beat-your-anxiety-build-your-confidence-change-your-life), named as "One of the 100 Best Confidence Books Of All Time." ### Information or Influence?  . . . The Choice Is Yours   Presenters everywhere—including those seeking presence—make a fundamental mistake, however. They too often focus on the information they need to deliver, rather than their purpose in giving the speech. Speaking in public is always about *influencing *your audience. It's never about just delivering information. (Here are [20 ways to connect with an audience for lasting influence](https://genardmethod.tradepub.com/free/w_thab106/). And take a look at my [7 tips for overcoming audience resistance](https://genardmethod.tradepub.com/free/w_thab48/).)   Sure, your content helps you to achieve influence. But the more vital element here is *you*. That’s because you filter the content through your unique personality and experiences. Consider how much more valuable that is than a slide deck that could have been emailed to everyone!   A speech, like theater, is a form of community, which carries much more of a wallop. And it can only take place if there's a speaker and an audience, whether in person or in cyberspace. > What about when everyone's video is turned off? Learn how to cope in my Free How-To Guide, ["How Can You Be a Good Virtual Speaker When You Can't See Anyone?"](https://genardmethod.tradepub.com/free/w_thab108/) Someone once referred to the theater as “a state of mind that both audience and actors can share and experience.”2 It’s exactly the same in a speech or presentation. There’s a reason that the words “present” and “presence” both have their origin in the Latin word *praesentia*.   Here's the other secret about leadership presence in public speaking: the skills needed to develop it aren’t special. They’re the same ones you use to persuade, inspire, and entertain people when you talk about anything you’re interested in. When you use these people skills *that you already have* to their greatest effect, that's when you achieve the presence you're looking for as a speaker. 1James Whittaker, “Master The Art of Stage Presence,” October 6, 2015.** **https://www. microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2015/10/06/master-the-art-of-stage- presence-with-james-whittaker/ Italics in original. 2Sarah Pini, “Alternative Approaches to the Classic Model of Stage Presence in Performing Arts: A Review.” https://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Presence_** **Performing_Arts_. **Like murder mysteries and suspense? — Discover my Dr. William Scarlet Series!** > Scotland Yard surgeon/detective Dr. William Scarlet tracks down serial killers—including Jack the Ripper—and the forces of evil in this series. Find the books [here](https://www.garygenard.com/) and on [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXWJF3BB?binding=kindle_edition&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_bs_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1719928539&sr=1-1). > > [![The Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries, by Gary Genard.](https://www.genardmethod.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DR.%20WILLIAM%20SCARLET%20MYSTERIES/Double%20Scarlet%20annotated.png?width=2002&height=2004&name=Double%20Scarlet%20annotated.png)](https://www.garygenard.com/) **You should follow me on Twitter **[**here**](https://twitter.com/GaryGenard)**.** **![Cropped headshot for Speak for Leadership back cover -- 8.30.21](https://www.genardmethod.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GARY%20PHOTOS/Cropped%20headshot%20for%20Speak%20for%20Leadership%20back%20cover%20--%208.30.21.jpg?width=272&height=263&name=Cropped%20headshot%20for%20Speak%20for%20Leadership%20back%20cover%20--%208.30.21.jpg)** [Gary Genard](https://www.genardmethod.com/about/dr-gary-genard) is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers [live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching ](https://www.genardmethod.com/coaching/executive-presentation-skills) and corporate group training worldwide. He was named for nine consecutive years as **One of the World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals**, and also named as **One of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches**. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Sellers [*How to Give a Speech*](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/how-to-give-a-speech) and [Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence](https://www.garygenard.com/speak-for-leadership). His book, [*Fearless Speaking*](https://www.garygenard.com/store/p/fearless-speaking-beat-your-anxiety-build-your-confidence-change-your-life)*, *was named in 2019 as **"One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time." **" He is also the author of the [Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries](https://www.garygenard.com/). [Contact Gary here.](https://www.genardmethod.com/contact)   Main photo credit: Rebrand Cities on pexels.com Tags: [public speaking](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/public-speaking),[leadership presence](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/leadership-presence),[how to give a speech](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/how-to-give-a-speech),[speaking virtually](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/speaking-virtually),[public speaking for leadership](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/public-speaking-for-leadership),[leadership](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/leadership),[speaking to large audiences](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/speaking-to-large-audiences),[top public speaking blogs](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/top-public-speaking-blogs),[best public speaking blogs](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/best-public-speaking-blogs),[performance](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/performance),[leadership coaching](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/leadership-coaching),[leadership training](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/leadership-training),[audiences](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/audiences),[how to engage audiences](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/how-to-engage-audiences),[speak for leadership](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/speak-for-leadership),[women's empowerment](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/womens-empowerment),[women in leadership](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/women-in-leadership),[women business leaders](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/women-business-leaders),[virtual leadership training](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/virtual-leadership-training),[virtual leadership coaching](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/virtual-leadership-coaching),[Dr. Gary Genard confidence coach](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/dr-gary-genard-confidence-coach),[women and leadership](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/women-and-leadership),[how to improve virtual meetings](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/how-to-improve-virtual-meetings),[Red Season](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/red-season),[Dr. William Scarlet Mysteries](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/dr-william-scarlet-mysteries),[Year of the Rippers](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/year-of-the-rippers),[leadership skills for women](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/leadership-skills-for-women),[The Master of Illusion](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/the-master-of-illusion),[presentation skills for webinars](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/presentation-skills-for-webinars),[presentation skills for virtual meetings](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/presentation-skills-for-virtual-meetings),[virtual presentation skills training](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/virtual-presentation-skills-training),[murder mysteries](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/murder-mysteries),[murder thrillers](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/murder-thrillers),[best leadership blogs](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/best-leadership-blogs),[Jack the Ripper](https://www.genardmethod.com/blog/topic/jack-the-ripper) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Subscribe to the blog #### Follow Gary Genard [![](https://www.genardmethod.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GENARD_METHOD_IMAGES/CTAs/GENARD%20BOOKS.png?width=265&height=313&name=GENARD%20BOOKS.png "GENARD BOOKS.png")](https://www.genardmethod.com/public-speaking-books#!/Books/c/14420103/offset=0&sort=normal) - 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