Shortly out of college, many years ago, I found myself as Pastor of a small congregation in Pennsylvania. In that role, I learned a few things which have definitely contributed to my life since then. One of those has to do with public speaking.

Preaching, even to a small crowd, can be intimidating. This is true on so many levels, but the one which crosses over to the student experience is the fact that the more you do anything, the better you typically get at it. Preaching two or three times a week for almost 20 years honed my presentation skills. I also read additional books on how to preach effectively and practiced different styles. When God led me into higher education, I was easily able to transition into the classroom, because I had become comfortable in front of an audience.

The Growth Mindset indicates that while some may have a natural talent for something, like public speaking, anyone can develop those skills and abilities. They can even excel and even surpass those with more talent, who refuse to apply themselves. My experience as a Pastor demonstrated the truth of that to me. But, becoming better at public speaking or anything else requires effort . . . and lots of practice!

That takes me to the title of this post: “Seek Every Opportunity to Present.” Volunteering to present in class about any subject will do two things:

1. It will continue to improve your ability to make effective presentations. The more you present, the more experience you accumulate, which translates into better presentations.
2. You will learn the material better, and retain the information longer. It has always been true that those who teach (present) actually learn the material better than those who “receive.” Presenting, when done well, forces competence.

Really, apart from the nerves, it is a win-win proposition. Your ability to make a competent presentation can make a huge difference in your ability to move up in your organization. If you would like to know more about this or would like to discuss a webinar for your organization on presentation skills, contact me at rlupchurch@gmail.com.