What’s Holding Women Back from Assertively Speaking in Public? | Part 2

Part 2 – Is it really possible for a woman to transform herself from being unconfident and self-doubting to becoming a charismatic, impactful Public Speaker?

This is the sort of question many of my female clients ask when they first contact me. The answer is definitely: YES!

So, how can this transformation take place?

As we saw in my previous article, women are less likely than men to speak up assertively in meetings and to shine during Public Speaking. This, unfortunately, starts from an early age and is blatant during university studies when female students are less likely to ask questions in seminars than their male counterparts.

So, what are the solutions?

Firstly, understanding the root causes of what’s hindering us, as women, from being visible and assertively Speaking in Public (see my previous article on this subject) is the essential first step to taking concrete action towards positive change. Most of the time, women aren’t even aware that their education and upbringing have such an influential role on their behaviour in the workplace.

Next, from my experience, the coaching questioning process is key to helping my clients determine what sort of career they really want to have, without the interference of limiting beliefs and critical self-talk. When you can openly talk to a coach who offers neutral support, you’re able to delve deeper into yourself and understand what you really want to achieve, becoming aware of your true potential.

I’ll take my own case as an example:

 

I grew up with a traditional education of believing the husband should be the breadwinner and the wife should be at home looking after the children. Even though my parents were proud when I graduated from university, the subliminal message I received was: “You can work but you mustn’t have an important, time-consuming career as your primary role is to look after your family.”

Working independently as a Public Speaking coach has meant I’ve had to make myself visible both online and offline. I’m aware that doing so will lead to even more success in my career. Yet, it also means I’m leaving behind the traditional female role I grew up with and this can feel like a “betrayal” towards my family values.

What really helps me overcome my limiting beliefs is to listen to my true inner being and free myself from the nagging voices of my education. The question I ask myself is: “What is it I truly want to achieve?” When I do this, the message is loud and clear: I know that I want to thrive professionally and help other people to thrive in their career. This awareness gives me the courage to make myself visible in networking events and on social media.

So, basically, it’s by giving voice to my inner self and my true desires, freed from the limitations of my education, that I’m able to surmount my fear of speaking in front of a group of people and being the centre of attention.

 

This is my personal story of transformation. What’s yours? How would you like your life to be transformed?

 

In the 3rd of this series of articles, I provide a case study of a female client who was able to overcome her self-doubts, to accept her rightful place in the limelight and who received the promotion she deserved.

 

 

We each have our own story. My role as a Public Speaking coach is to help you to understand what’s holding you back, then to determine what your pure, true self really wants.

We can then work on using concrete Public Speaking tools, such as portraying confident body language, projecting a powerful voice and having an appealing story to tell. These practical tools will help you to gain even more confidence, impact and charisma.

 

In this way I’ve transformed my own life and I feel passionate about transforming the lives of the women I coach.

 

I’ve created a coaching programme Release Your Powerful Female Voice to help you to understand what’s holding you back, then to determine what your free, true self really wants.

 

Would you like to learn more about how my coaching offer can help YOU to bring fulfillment into your life by Releasing your own Powerful Female Voice?

Please do get in touch for an introductory call.