How Susan Cain overcame a fear of public speaking to give a TED talk that has been viewed more than 25 million times

​Susan Cain, author and celebrated TED talk presenter, once had a crippling fear of public speaking. Her TED talk, The Power of Introverts, has more than 25 million views and is one of my all-time favourites.

I am also a big fan of Tim Ferris, and so when he interviewed Susan Cain in this podcast, I had to listen. The first 40 minutes is about her fear of public speaking. Her experience closely mirrors my own and that of many of my clients. 

Her main points are:

• A particular event at school triggered her ‘almost lifelong’ fear of public speaking. 
• The incentive to deal with her anxiety came from having something she cared deeply about and wanted to share.
• She signed up for a course that used ‘gradual exposure’ to manage her fear.
• She discovered that public speaking is a skill that can be learned.
• She still feels nervous, but her nerves are now manageable (and didn’t stop her from delivering one of the most popular TED talks of all times!)
• She discovered there is enormous benefit in developing public speaking skills. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these. 

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