One of the things people hate with consistency is public speaking. It seems that it is an almost universally loathed activity. Standing up in front of your peers, bosses, friends, and/or enemies to present information of some sort is a very revealing action. I can get the fear of it.
Here’s the thing though, the more people that don’t want to do something, the more valuable the skill becomes. If there was no one that was willing to change oil then that would be the most valuable profession in the world. Therefore, the more people that refuse to do public speaking, the more valuable it is in the people willing to do it.
Public speaking is one of those activities where the more you do it, the better you get generally. The hardest part is overcoming the natural fears accompanied by stage fright (they are going to think I’m stupid, I’m going to mess up, I’ll forget everything, I’m about to sabotage my career). Once you realize that simply getting up and speaking makes you stand out in people’s minds goes a long way.
Learning to speak in public is one of the greatest skills I learned. I’m a natural introvert who has developed the skill to get in front of any crowd and talk about anything. Am I always excellent when I do? Of course not, but perfection is not demanded of many skills. Every mathematician forgets to carry the one occasionally. Even the most punctual person forgets a meeting now and then. Carrying through is what counts.