The deadly sins of public speaking can completely wreck your best efforts to give a good speech. I think it’s important to be aware of them so that we can eradicate them from our speaking. Envy, or wishing you could speak like other people, undermines your authenticity and is the sixth deadly sin in my series.

I wish I could speak like that – the destruction of authenticity

Envy is the desire to be like someone else, to have the speaking skills of someone else, like, for instance, Alex Polizzi, Barak Obama, Jeanette Winterson or Stephen Fry. Envy can make us come across as unduly deferential to that speaker we want to be and this can convey deceit.

What we need to do is be ourselves. As Judy Garland advised “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”

As speakers, envy can be a calamity. You need to recognise the importance of being yourself, being authentic in everything you say, the way you say it, your body language, voice, etc. If you cannot communicate authentically, audiences will know. They see the deceit and then they don’t feel comfortable, they don’t trust you.

But it goes beyond trust, you need to be authentic if you are to create powerful connections with your audience. For it is those connections that make your speeches enjoyable and memorable. It is those connections that allow your speech to touch people’s hearts and minds and have an impact on them.

Lyn Roseaman by Robert Taylor Photography

What can you do to be authentic?

First and foremost, be yourself. Because it is, after all, you that people have come to hear. They want to know a little about you, they want to connect with you. Think about the qualities and characteristics that make you feel good about someone. To get this across in your speech, try telling relevant personal stories and anecdotes, use appropriate self-deprecating humour and don’t be afraid to show your vulnerable side.

After your speech, always invite feedback from your audience so that you can learn how they felt about your speech and any refinements that might enhance your skills further. And, of course, don’t forget to practise.