Episode #215: What Is Enjoyable About Public Speaking?

Why do so many professionals in Japan dread public speaking—and how can they finally overcome it?

For many business professionals, the idea of enjoying public speaking feels impossible. In both 日本企業 (Japanese companies) [Japanese companies] and 外資系企業 (global companies) [foreign-affiliated companies], executives are increasingly required to present, persuade, and influence. Yet most leaders never received formal プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) [presentation training], leaving them anxious, underprepared, and convinced that speaking is an unavoidable burden.

At Dale Carnegie Tokyo—leveraging 100+ years of global expertise and 60+ years serving clients in 東京 (Tokyo) [Tokyo]—we help professionals replace fear with confidence through structured, repeatable skills.

Most executives face speaking requests long before they have built the skills to handle them. This leads to:

• Anxiety caused by uncertainty and lack of preparation

• Fear of being judged or embarrassed

• Physical stress responses triggered by the brain’s survival system

• A cycle of avoidance that prevents improvement

Because presentations are often one-off, leaders rarely get the repetition needed to build confidence.

Mini-Summary:
Stress comes from lack of training, lack of repetition, and a fear-centered mindset—not from “lack of talent.”

While you may not repeat the same speech to multiple audiences, you can—and must—repeat the delivery through structured rehearsal. Just as athletes practice before competition, business leaders should rehearse before high-stakes presentations.

Dale Carnegie training emphasizes:

• Practicing until delivery becomes natural

• Building muscle memory that reduces anxiety

• Creating familiarity so your brain stops triggering panic responses

Mini-Summary:
Repetition rewires the brain. The more you rehearse, the more your confidence becomes automatic.

Poor presenters focus on their own fear. Great presenters focus on the people they serve.

Our method teaches leaders to:

• Shift attention from “How am I doing?” to “What does the audience need?”

• Use six-second eye contact to connect authentically

• Read engagement cues and adjust in real time

• Use congruent gestures, tonal variety, and 気 (ki) [intrinsic energy] to project leadership presence

• Deliver messages that keep audiences away from their phone screens and fully engaged

Mini-Summary:
Confidence emerges when leaders focus on impact instead of self-judgment.

When leaders apply Dale Carnegie techniques consistently, something remarkable happens:

• Audiences lean in

• Engagement becomes visible

• Energy flows between speaker and listeners

• Speaking transforms from fear… into momentum, influence, and even enjoyment

What once felt like duty becomes one of the most rewarding parts of leadership.

Mini-Summary:
When you connect deeply with an audience, public speaking becomes a source of power—not fear.

• Public speaking fear is learned—and therefore can be unlearned.

• Repetition and rehearsal are essential for confidence.

• Focusing on the audience eliminates anxiety and builds presence.

• Dale Carnegie Tokyo provides proven, global best-practice プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) [presentation training] trusted by 日本企業 (Japanese companies) [Japanese companies] and 外資系企業 (global companies) [foreign-affiliated companies] alike.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.