Naomi Osaka’s departure from the French Open highlights how jobs force many of us to be presenters. For the anxious, there are ways to improve.
Was Naomi Osaka, a champion tennis player, right to pull out of the French Open this week rather than submit to post-match press conferences? Public speaking, she explained, makes her intensely anxious. Yet the issue is one that many people, not just high-performance athletes, confront: to what extent must you endure the public glare as part of your job? In the era of Zoom meetings, we’re all on stage at work more than ever.
Given that three-quarters of people in America and two-thirds in Britain say they’re afraid of the spotlight, the problem needs to be treated as a priority. People who are nervous speaking publicly should consider whether its truly necessary for their work, career goals and life. Perhaps it isn’t or the emotional toll is too great. But if it is, then there are ways for people to improve and for organizations to create an environment to support them.
Read the entire article, Susan Cain on being comfortable with public speaking at work published June 4, 2021 in The Economist.
Susan Cain is the New York Times bestselling author of Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts and Quiet: The Power of Introverts in A World That Can’t Stop Talking. Her newest book, Bittersweet: How Longing and Sorrow Make Us Whole, will be released in 2022. Susan’s TED Talk The power of introverts has been viewed over 40 million times on TED.com and YouTube combined and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favorite talks. Susan believes the world needs introverts and extroverts to balance each other out. Her mission is to harness the talents and strengths of the quieter half of the population.
