Communicating with clarity and conviction is key to getting your message across and elevating your impact. Great ways to build your confidence and master the art of communication is to focus on managing negative thought patterns, displaying cues that signal warmth and competence and planning ahead for high stakes conversations.

This HBR article highlights the common fear of public speaking and how our brains associate it with being under attack, triggering anxiety. Our instinct to protect ourselves can create a barrier with the audience but we can overcome this by shifting the focus away from ourselves and towards helping the audience. This calms the amygdala and decrease the fight-or-flight response, leading to a calmer and more impactful speaking experience.

This Marginalia article explores the art of constructive criticism and offers insights from philosopher Daniel Dennett on how to engage in intelligent and respectful arguments. The article outlines four steps to compose a successful critical commentary and its gold. Here’s the gist:

1. You should attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly, and fairly that your target says, “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it that way.”
2. You should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. You should mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.