Overcoming Stage Fright

A healthy fear of public speaking is common. Mark Twain famously joked that there are only two types of public speakers: the nervous and the liars. Around 3 out of 4 people will admit to being nervous speaking in front of a crowd. When you're nervous you feel like the whole world can see right through you. The fact is that your fear of public speaking may not be as notice-able as you think. Instead of focusing on your fear focus on delivering a good talk or presentation. In the process your fear will diminish. 

These techniques will help you to  turn your fear into an advantage. You may even learn to enjoy a few butterflies in your stomach. 

1. Learn To Enjoy Adrenaline

Shift your thinking from risk-avoidance to risk-taking. It's the only solid way to overcome fear. When you're in front of a crowd you can focus on avoiding bad outcomes such as falling on your face. Alternatively, you can enjoy the adrenaline rush of risk.

A fear response is a physical thing that boosts your mental alertness. Instead of dreading your fear response, learn to use it to your advantage. If you're more fearful than anyone else in the room you're also sharper.

2. What Would John F. Kennedy do?

Cultivate an interest in the  art of public speaking.  Watch some of the greatest speeches in history. Watch any accomplished public speaker and study their technique.  Concentrate on improving your abilities. When you're focused on the task at hand your fears fall into the background. 

3. Prepare & Practice

Fearful public speakers often outperform fearless speakers because they're more motivated to prepare. Prepare and practice with the goal of improving your delivery and message. 

4. Avoid Memorization and Static Approaches

A speech or presentation is dynamic. Keep your preparations high level and improvise a little each time you practice.  Memorization makes it difficult to recover from errors or interact with your audience. It also tends to make you sound like a robot. 

5. Practice Recoveries

One of the reasons people are nervous speaking in front of a crowd is that they fear making embarrassing mistakes. The first step to getting over these feelings is to expect mistakes instead of fearing them. Prepare for them. Your talk may not go as planned. You might make mistakes or things might get off track. When you slip up in prac-tice keep going. Develop techniques to recover from challenges. If you mispronounce a word, make a joke. If you skip something, go back. Learn to take your time. Calmly recover from challenges.  Many accomplished public speakers use mistakes as a opportunity to let 

their personality shine through.  

6. Breathe

Develop simple calming techniques such as slow, controlled, deep breathing. In the minutes leading up to your talk, clear your mind and relax. Last minute cramming just makes you more nervous. Remember that fear usually peaks in anticipation of public speaking and declines the second you start talking. 

7. Let Your Passion Drive You 

Speak about topics that you're passion-ate about. Because when you are speaking about your passion you are more sophisticated and nothing can interrupt your speech. If your topic is related to your passion your thinking level goes beyond the expectation. Then it will lead to discussion and session becomes more Interactive and Sophisticated. Let your excitement for communicating worthy ideas carry you through.

8. Be Yourself 

Be Yourself. People feel that they need to take on a new persona when they speak in front of a crowd. This isn't necessary. When you try to imitate a personality or someone else you are losing your own identity. If you don't have your own style then you may struggle at some point of time, which is not good for any speech. When you have your own style it is easy to grab the attention of the audience which is more important for any speaker.

Just be yourself. That being said, if it helps you to imagine that you're James Bond when your in front of an audience go for it. Just don't take things too far. Otherwise, people might wonder why you develop a poorly intimidated accent when you speak.

9. Imagine You're Speaking To An Old Friend

Be aware of your audience. Look at them. However, it doesn't hurt to imagine that you're speaking to an old friend rather than a large crowd. Because the mood of the audience of the audience will help you to take decision of what type of approach that you are going to set for the delivery of the speech. If you wrongly judge the mood of the audi-ence then it will lead to poor delivery of speech. So take it in a casual manner and imagine that you are speaking to your old friend.

10. Enjoy the Silence

Take Your Time. There's no need to rush through your talk. People are there to listen to you, you're not wasting their time.  Speak at a normal pace. You can even speak slower than your normal pace if you feel it will help get your message across.  Learn to be comfortable with moments of silence. Use pauses to build suspense or emphasize a point. 

11. Stick To Your Strengths

Humour is an effective public speaking technique. However, if you're terrible at delivering jokes it’s OK to skip it. Focus on  your strengths.  Maybe your good with people. Maybe you’re knowledgeable. Maybe your a good storyteller. Whatever your strengths may be  use them.  

12. Speak in Public As Often As Possible 

The best way to overcome any fear is to face it. Get in front of an audience at any opportunity. Consider public speaking training. Keep on practising is the best way to overcome stage fear. When you keep on presenting speech in front of mass it will build your confidence level. No one can give a effective presentation or speech at time. Every-one need time and opportunities to ex-pose their own talent and skills.

Are you an Effective Leader?

Effective Leadership principles: 

• To begin from the possible
• To see advantage in disadvantage
• To change the place of action
• To make a friend out of an enemy
• To turn minus into plus
• The power of peace is stronger than the 
• power of violence
• Not to be a dichotomous thinker
• To bring the battle in one’s own favourable field
• Gradualism instead of radicalism
• To be pragmatic in controversial matters

Qualities of Effective leadership: 

1. A leader should be realistic; his mes-sages and demands should not be in contradiction with the realities of life. He should consider the conditions surrounding him and his society as they actually are. He should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages he has.
2. A leader should be convinced of the truth of the message he conveys to people. He should never falter in his convictions and be resolute in conveying his message without renunciation.
3. A leader should be courageous in nature. Even left alone to himself, he should find in himself as much courage as to resist all the difficulties he might encounter.
4. A leader should have a strong will-power and resolve and never fall into hopelessness.
5. A leader should be aware of his responsibility and nothing should be able to prevent him from fulfilling it. Especially the charms of the world and attractions of life should not be able to intervene between him and his responsibility.
6. A leader should be far-sighted and have determined his goal well. He should have the mental capacity to discern the developments he might encounter in the future. He should also be able to evaluate the past, the present and the future together and reach new syntheses. A leader who frequently changes opinions causes rifts and disagreements among his society
7. A leader should know the members of his society individually. He should have discovered each of them with their dispositions, character, abilities, short-comings, ambitions and weak points. This will enable him particularly to make the best choice in his appointments to important offices.
8. A leader should have a strong character and be equipped with praiseworthy virtues. He should be determined in carrying out his decisions but capable of flexibility; he should know when to be unyielding and implacable; when to be relenting and compassionate.

As well as understanding the frameworks that you can use to be a more effective leader, and knowing what it takes to be a transformational leader, it's also useful to learn about more general styles, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Let's take a look at some other styles of leadership that are interesting, but don't fit with any of the frameworks above.

Transactional Leadership:

This style starts with the idea that team 

members agree to obey their leader when 

they accept a job. The "transaction" usually 

involves the organization paying team 

members in return for their effort and compliance on a short-term task. The leader has 

a right to "punish" team members if their 

work doesn't meet an appropriate standard.

Transactional leadership is present in many business leadership situations, and it does offer some benefits. For example, it clarifies everyone's roles and responsibilities. And, because transactional leadership judges team members on performance, people who are ambitious or who are motivated by external rewards – including compensation – often thrive

The downside of this style is that, on its own, it can be chilling and amoral, and it can lead to high staff turnover. It also has serious limitations for knowledge-based or creative work.

As a result, team members can often do little to improve their job satisfaction.

Servant Leadership:

A "servant leader" is someone, regardless of level, who leads simply by meeting the needs of the team. The term sometimes describes a person without formal recognition as a leader.

These people often lead by example. They have high integrity  and  lead with generosity. Their approach can create a positive corporate culture, and it can lead to high morale among team members.

Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's a good way to move ahead in a world where values are increasingly important, and where servant leaders can achieve power because of their values, ideals, and ethics.

However, others believe that people who practice servant leadership can find them-selves "left behind" by other leaders, particularly in competitive situations

 This style also takes time to apply correctly: it's ill-suited to situations where you 

have to make quick decisions or meet tight deadlines

Charismatic Leadership:

Charismatic leadership resembles transformational leadership: both types of leaders inspire and motivate their team members.

The difference lies in their intent. Transformational leaders want to transform their teams and organizations, while leaders who rely on charisma often focus on them-selves and their own ambitions, and they may not want to change anything.

Charismatic leaders might believe that they can do no wrong, even when others warn them about the path that they're on. This feeling of invincibility can severely damage a team or an organization.

Bureaucratic Leadership: 

Bureaucratic leaders follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their people follow procedures precisely.

This is appropriate for work involving serious safety risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at dangerous heights), or with large sums of money. Bureaucratic leadership is also useful for managing employees who perform routine tasks.

This style is much less effective in teams and organizations that rely on flexibility, creativity, or innovation.

Mohammed Hussain, 

Facilitator, 

Helikx

The Power of Self-Reflection

To find yourself, lost and without purpose, wondering how you ended up where you are, is a scary thought. If you are  not careful, not mindfully aware of where you are going, you  could end up somewhere far from where you want to be. These  are 10 helpful questions that we each ought to ask ourselves on a frequent basis. The power of self-reflection can serve to keep you  in check, to keep you  focused on self-improvement and ensure that you  are as fulfilled as possible.

1. Am I using my time wisely?

“Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.” - Nathaniel Hawthorne

We all know time is precious. Our goal ought to be to  use it in a way that isn’t counter-productive. For example, taking time to unwind and do nothing productive in particular could be beneficial for the mind and body. Finding yourself stuck in a job that offers a stable pay but fails to challenge you, make use of your skills, or provide some sense of value could be considered a substantial waste of time. Most of it is perception. The best way to evaluate this is to imagine  yourself five or 10  years from now, looking back to where you are now,  this could help you see what aspects in your life  may be a waste of 

your time.

2. Am I taking anything for granted?

“Reflect upon your present blessings, of 

which every man has plenty; not on 

your last misfortunes, of which all men 

have some.” - Charles Dickens

There  are countless  blessings around each of us. Even at our lowest lows we may have the support of family or friends, a roof over our head or skills that we ought to take pride in. We’re naturally forward-looking, which may blind us to our present circumstances. We ought to take a moment every now and again to look at what we have around us and be grateful.

3. Am I employing a healthy perspective?

“Perspective is as simple as answering this question: If I had five months to live would I experience this problem differently?” - Shannon Alder

Whether or not we’re happy, doing what’s right, or if we are successful is all about perspective. We may have the world at our fingertips yet find our-selves utterly empty. We can grow to hate our jobs simply because of one co-worker whom we cannot agree with, or be devastated over a dissolving relationship that had been detrimental to our well-being in the first place. Some-times we’re so zoomed in on various issues that, when we step back or hear an outside perspective, we can view the issue in a completely different light. Try to adopt new perspectives when possible; a glass-half-full approach can mean a world of difference in regards to certain matters.

4. Am I living true to myself?

“A lot of the conflict you have in your 

life exists simply because you’re not 

living in alignment; you’re not be being 

true to yourself.” - Steve Maraboli 

This may take years to fully discover, with many mistakes along the way, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't try. It’s vital to figure out whether or not we’re deceiving ourselves, leading a life that actions and circumstances every now and again, we can let things spiral away–like the corrupt politician or steroid-dependent athlete. Figure out what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. If you’re doing something that will cause you regret down the road, work your-self away from it.

5. Am I waking up  in the morning ready to take on the day?

Or are you waking up with a sense of 

hopelessness? The first thought of the 

day is a massive indicator of your general level of happiness. We all have 

days that we don’t look forward to, but 

if you find yourself not wanting to get 

out of bed day after day, and if you 

know why that is, it’s time to take action.

6. Am I thinking negative thoughts before I fall asleep?

“Insomniacs know that there is some-thing about the night. A darkness, an 

energy, a mystery that shrouds things. 

It hides things at the same time as it 

illuminates them. It is this thing that 

allows us to examine our thoughts in a 

way that we can’t during the day. It is 

this thing that brings truth and clarity.” - Courtney Cole

When we finally lay down to sleep is 

when we unplug from everything and 

finally achieve a measure of clarity, 

clarity that prompts reflection. Your 

last thoughts before falling asleep re-veal a lot about what’s going on in your 

life. If they’re consistently negative, try 

to identify a pattern of what may be causing them and then seek to address the stressors.

7. Am I putting enough effort into my 

relationships?

“Indifference and neglect often do much 

more damage than outright dislike.”  -J.K. Rowling

Over time, we can begin to take our relationships for granted. Flames die out, naturally, and novelty wears off. In consequence, this requires constant effort to allow the relationships to grow. Moving away from family, for instance, requires lots of effort to stay connected and stay close. If you don’t want to find yourself losing various individuals in your life, make sure that you’re dedicated towards maintaining your relationships.

8. Am I taking care of myself ?

“To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”  -  Buddha. We have everything working against us as we get older–more work hours to put in, a family to take care off, decreased energy levels and a slowed metabolism, just to name a few. Our physical well-being can, in turn, be put on the back burner if we’re not aware. Keep an idea of where you want to be physically in the next few years and don’t let that image slip away from you.

9. Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?

“The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed 

is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.”  -Steve Maraboli

The biggest waste of effort we can make is to stress out about things that are outside of our realm of control. A completely unnecessary but inevitably common phenomenon that can ruin our days, our health, and our mental well-being. Make sure to continuously identify your stress factors and work to-wards eliminating any worries about things that you can’t control.

10. Am I achieving the goals that I’ve set for myself?

This question is necessary to consider  on a frequent basis. We all have a general vision of where we want to be in five or 10  years, but it’s a very obscure glimpse based around general accomplishments. PsychologyTo-day.com  reports: “In life, people have many goals (e.g. exercise more, be a better spouse, save more money). How-ever, goals often go unrealized because people lack self-awareness…Thus, to improve our chances of reaching our goals, we must remain aware of our current behavior.”  It’s helpful to examine the visions of our future selves in close detail and break down everything that must be done in order to achieve them. Don’t solely focus on the  where  and  what–account for the how.