Ladies and gentlemen, hold your horses. You may be chomping at the bit, but stay calm.
Get a grip and wait a minute for the butterflies to settle. Take a breath. A big breath. One that will pad your chest. One that will protect you from the heebie-jeebies.
You are standing in front of a room full of highly intelligent people. You have, I hope, grasped what they want from you–a speech or presentation that will satisfy their need for information, connection, humor, honesty, trust, suggestions, conversation, metaphor, and imagination.
They want a speech or presentation that will make them think, remember, laugh, and cast doubt (to see if you have the guts to stand up to them). They want a speech or presentation that will make them smarter and make you a person of note.
“If you can give a decent speech in public or cut any kind of figure on the podium, then you never need to dine or sleep alone.”
Or so says the late great Christopher Hitchens.