What it takes to be a world-class speaker

What it takes to be a world-class speaker

This week,

I was in New York for a client training,

I took some time to go and see a live broadway show for the first time.

No clue what a broadway show was.

If we’re being honest,

I was roped into it by my girlfriend and didn’t want to go.

Musicals … not my thing.

But … as soon as the show started,

I was completely blown away!

Every line, every movement, every note, was executed so perfectly that it looked effortless.

The precision of the whole thing.

I couldn’t help but think …

“How much work went into this?”

Coincidentally, I went to get a haircut in the city and It just so happened that the barber I went to also cut hair for the broadway performers,

So I asked him,

“Do you know much about how they practice? Is this a part-time thing for them?”

He said

“Not at all, it’s a full-time job! They rehearse 6 days a week on average,

The average day is 5-7 hours of rehearsal.

Even after opening night, they’re still practicing, tweaking, and refining.

In fact, they keep rehearsing throughout the run to make sure every single performance is as flawless as the first.”

Here I was thinking “Wow, they’re so talented, I wish I could sing and dance like that..”

But the truth is:

Hamilton has been performed over 1,000 times live.

Can you imagine doing the same show day after day, but each time with the same energy and precision as if it’s the first time?

That’s not just talent.

That’s dedication, discipline, and an insane amount of practice.

So what does it take to be a world-class speaker?

Whether it's public speaking, leading a team, or building a new skill, you don’t get to the world-class level by luck or talent alone.

You get there by showing up and putting in the reps—again and again—until it feels like second nature.

The broadway performers rehearse and practice:

The same show,
The same way,
with the same people,

Over and over again.

And they don’t stop.

Most people never even rehearse a presentation ONCE before showing up to present in front of the whole company.

Here’s what I’ve seen:

Under-performers don’t practice at all,

Mediocre performers practice a bit, get decent, and call it a day,

World-class performers keep pushing, refining, and improving, even when they’re already “good enough.”

So here’s something for you to think about:

Are you happy with ‘good enough?’

or do you want to be world-class?

and if you say you want to be a world-class a speaker,

are you putting in the world-class effort?

Yasir Khan

P.S

This 10 day course would be a good place to start