4 Ways To Stand Up & Speak Your Truth (And Why It's So Important)

There are so many ways to fast-track a career or grow a business. We have so many tools at our disposal to test an idea, get advice, incubate a project. And yet one of the most powerful things you can ever do is one of the easiest to forget. It's as simple as standing up and speaking your mind. It's also one of the scariest things.

He says we all need to learn "presentation literacy," and that it's not just for people who give PowerPoint presentations on the reg. In fact, it's just as important as reading or writing. Perhaps even more so, because of the power of a message to travel far and wide and move people in profound ways.

And yet most of us do a pretty bang-up job of keeping quiet. I wish more people—especially women—got up and opened their mouths. Shared their stories, their brilliance, their insights. And that more of us don't is a tragedy.

When you speak up and all eyes turn to you, it may be terrifying. But you do more to advance your cause, raise your profile, and make real change than when you're posting a Facebook rant (times a million).

Anderson says the ability to get up and say something isn't just a gift of the chosen few. "If you know how to talk to a group of friends over dinner," he writes in an article on TED.com, "then you know enough to speak publicly." You're great at talking to friends because, well, you do it all the time. If you don't normally speak publicly, then it's no wonder it feels weird and awkward. But so does fly fishing if you've never done it. You know what helps? Doing more fly fishing.

Public speaking doesn't start on day one with a keynote address. You'll get better by taking small opportunities to literally talk while other people are looking at you. The next time your boss says, "Any questions or concerns?" ask something. Anything. Then do it again next time. You can't expect people to notice you, admire you, or promote you if you don't make your presence known. Even in small ways, it makes a difference.

If you're skeptical of whether speaking up matters, test it. See what happens when you don't speak at all (um, nothing). And now measure the effect of speaking up. You not only get attention and face time, but conversations flow from there. As do opportunities. So, track them. Notice what happens when you do.

Become a student of speakers. Watch them—at events you attend, online. You could literally spend the next month watching TED talks. Sure, you can watch the most viewed TED talks of all time (Amy Cuddy, Sir Ken Robinson, Brené Brown, to name a few). But I strongly encourage you to watch other, regular people's TED and TEDx talks—people you don't know. See what you like and what you don't like. Try some of their techniques when you get the chance to speak next.

Also: Take advantage of all the free tutorials and courses online like this one.