Fear of Public Speaking? 

By Andy O'Sullivan, Confident You Training 20+ years coaching professionals at BBC, Deloitte, PwC and Accenture Tuesday, 16 June 2026 A woman contacted me recently after missing out on a promotion. Her manager had already told her why. "You need to speak up more in meetings." She knew her subject. In meetings, she often had the answer before anyone else. But something would stop her from speaking up. She'd have an idea, then spend the next few minutes working out how to phras

Struggling to think clearly in meetings? Learn why your mind goes blank in meetings and how to recover calmly under pressure at work.

Published 24 May 2026 Most advice about speaking up in meetings tells you to prepare more, slow your breathing, or ask a question. If any of that worked, you would not be reading this. In a survey I conducted of 2,198 professionals, 89% experienced anxiety in meetings, including people at senior levels across every kind of organisation and role. Why can't I speak up in meetings? The fear of speaking in meetings is social. It is the fear of being watched, judged, and evaluated