3 Strategies to Speak with Greater Authority

Published April 17, 2026

Delivering a public speech demands careful preparation. To capture your audience's attention, you must first explain why they should listen before overwhelming them with details.

Before attending any meeting, take a moment to jot down your ideas. Then, determine the clearest way to express them. Lead with the main point. Immediately inform your listeners why your message matters before delving into specifics. Avoid dragging out your introduction.

Poor example: “I’ve been getting a lot of feedback about the, ah, well, just some concerns about, oh, for example, carryover, and some of the other reporting categories that are affected by the new accounting rules? Well, and also with regards to the CAPEX reporting definitions — there are just some implications in terms of we’re gonna need to address the risks.”

Better example: “I’m worried about the new accounting rules. We have a month to develop some new processes to meet them or we’re going to face some expensive risks.”

Effective public speaking centers on considering your audience. Although you might speak softly at home in a comfortable setting, if your usual speech style is limiting you professionally, it’s time to adapt.

Work on clearly pronouncing your words and speaking deliberately by eliminating filler words such as “um,” “ah,” “like,” and “y’know.” Additionally, avoid upspeak — the tendency to raise your pitch at the end of sentences, which can make statements sound like questions.

The more authoritative your tone, the more respect your words will command.

In well-managed meetings, simply raising a finger or hand can be enough to signal your desire to speak. However, in more disorderly meetings, you may need to stand and assertively say, “I’d like to talk,” at the right moment.

3. If you can’t win, change the rules of the game

After the meeting, speak with your manager to express your concerns and propose adjustments. For instance, implementing a round-robin format could help. Emphasize that only one person should speak at a time and that interruptions must be discouraged.

Another approach is to collaborate with colleagues to support one another. When someone like Trevor interrupts, you can intervene: “Maryann was speaking, Trevor. I’d like to hear what she has to say.”

If you’ve spent years feeling unheard, these actions might seem intimidating. Think of practicing these techniques as a form of therapy. Although changing your behavior can cause anxiety, the objective is to set yourself on a new course both at work and in your personal life.