You walk into the boardroom. All eyes are on you.
This is your moment—your opportunity to present a strategy, pitch an idea, or handle a tough conversation. But instead of feeling calm and composed, your heart races, your palms become sweaty, your thoughts scramble, and the words you practiced so carefully don’t come out as you planned or don’t come out at all.
If this scenario sounds familiar to you, know that you’re not alone.
High-stakes situations—whether it’s a big presentation, a negotiation, or an impromptu executive discussion—test even the most seasoned professionals. The ability to stay composed under pressure is not just about the ability to communicate; it’s about being able to control your body’s response to stress.
So how do you project executive presence and stay in control when a challenging situation makes it feel like everything is on the line?
Why High-Stakes Moments Can Feel So Overwhelming
The brain perceives high-pressure situations as threats. When the brain perceives a threat (real or imagined) the amygdala (located in the Limbic brain) immediately triggers the fight-or-flight response. Your adrenaline spikes, your heartbeat accelerates, your body shunts blood to your arms and legs (better to run!) and away from your brain.
This is why your ability to think clearly and remember what you intended to say disappears. All of this happens unconsciously and in seconds. Unfortunately, when you are a leader, you can’t afford to freeze or fumble when you need to present your ideas and yourself with authority.
But here’s the good news: You can train yourself to stay composed, project confidence, and keep your ability to communicate sharp—no matter the stakes.
Control Your Breathing to Control Your Nerves
Ever notice how your voice becomes shaky and weak when you're nervous?
That’s a direct result of shallow breathing. When stress kicks in, our breathing becomes rapid and restricted, making it harder to control the sound of our voice.
Try this: Before a high-stakes meeting or presentation, engage in deliberate, slow breathing. Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four.
This technique, known as “box breathing,” calms your nervous system and immediately grounds you. An even quicker fix to control anxiety is to breathe in for a count of two through your nose, hold briefly at the top, then breathe out for four counts through pursed lips. This will take your heart rate down fast.
Slow Down—Even When Your Brain Wants to Speed Up
The adrenaline that floods your system during a fight or flight reaction speeds up your heart rate and the speed at which you speak. Rushing to get the words out works in an emergency, but not so well when we are trying to make a strong, positive impression.
Speaking fast diminishes your audience’s ability to understand your meaning and gives the impression that you want to get the whole thing over with.
How to fix it:
Slow down. Force yourself to speak more slowly and distinctly. Making this small adjustment will have a big impact on how confident you appear.
Pause frequently. Pauses give you a moment to collect your thoughts and allow you to emphasize key points at the same time.
If needed, take a controlled sip of water. It forces a natural pause and gives you a moment to recalibrate.
Master the Art of the Reset
Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. You lose your train of thought, get an unexpected question, or feel yourself starting to ramble. Instead of spiraling, learn to reset with poise.
A few powerful techniques:
Acknowledge and redirect: “That’s a great point. Let’s take a step back and look at the big picture…”
Buy yourself a moment: “Let me think on that for a second…” (This sounds intentional, not uncertain.)
Re-anchor to your key message: “What I really want to emphasize here is…”
Even the best communicators make mistakes, but they know how to recover gracefully and with control.
Change Your Mindset
What if instead of thinking of a high-stakes moment as something to fear, you thought of it as a stage on which to demonstrate your expertise?
How you view a situation directly impacts how you show up.
Instead of thinking: “I can’t mess this up.”➝ Shift to: “This is an opportunity to showcase my leadership skills.”
Instead of thinking: “What if I sound nervous?”➝ Shift to: “I’m prepared, and I belong in this room.”
Anchor Yourself with Confident Body Language
Your posture, how you move, the gestures you make, and where you look, all influence how others perceive you—and how you feel yourself. If you are slumped, rocking on your feet, flailing your arms, or have them locked by your sides, and avoid looking at your audience, you will telegraph a message that you are not sure of yourself.
Here are some tips for managing your body:
✔ Plant your feet firmly on the ground and balance your weight evenly on both feet. This prevents nervous shifting.
✔ Keep your shoulders back and hands relaxed. Avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting with your hands.
✔ Maintain steady eye contact. It projects authority and keeps you connected with your audience.
Final Thought: Composure is a Skill You Can Build
Staying composed when the stakes are high isn’t about eliminating nerves—it’s about managing them. It’s about knowing how to breathe through the pressure, pace your message, reset when needed, and project confidence even when you don’t feel it.
If high-stakes moments are keeping you from leading with confidence, let’s change that. I coach professionals on how to master executive presence, refine their communication, and show up powerfully when it matters most.
Ready to sharpen your composure under pressure? Let’s set up a discovery call!
You can schedule a discovery call by clicking the button below:
P.S. There is another tool you can use to decrease your overall anxiety about presenting to a room full of people. It’s called Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) also known as Tapping. I’ll be writing a post about that soon!
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