5 Reasons Female Leaders Should Give a TEDx Talk
By Tabby Biddle
The imposter syndrome. You know that feeling, right? I’m here. But I don’t really belong here. Someone else is clearly more qualified than me. I have had so many clients run into this along their path to becoming a TEDx speaker.
If you’re reading this article, my guess is that you have TEDx speaking aspirations. But perhaps self-doubt, procrastination and self-sabotage keep getting in the way?
This is part of my story, too.
I want to share with you that it took me a long time to get the courage to become a TEDx speaker. One factor was imposter syndrome, and another was the fact that I was spinning around the question of what I specifically wanted to share from the stage.
While it was clear to me that my expertise and my calling was to empower the voices of women and girls, I felt confused about what was my one clear “idea worth spreading.” Should I give a talk to help women find their political voice? Should I share my idea about what I saw as a missing link to advancing women in leadership?
How could I go out there and apply to be a TEDx speaker if I didn’t know what I wanted to say?
I struggled for a couple of years. During that time, I felt I was on the verge of being ready to give a TEDx talk—a talk that represented my core message, that would help me advance the status of what I stand for, and also establish me as a leading expert in my field. But I wondered if I had the courage to stand in the spotlight.
Today, many of the women who come to me for speaker coaching and leadership coaching tell me that they want to have a bigger voice in the world, have more influence, and build something that matters; yet at the same time, they have fears around visibility.
Some of these women are able to clearly identify these fears - such as the fear of taking up "too much" of the spotlight, being called a "show-off," sounding "stupid," being accused of being "wrong," or being challenged on their ideas and values.
Then there are others who aren't quite able to put their finger on why they feel so scared. They tell me that they have made strides in their leadership, but for some reason they can't go all the way. They keep getting tripped up. They come forward. Then they go back. They come forward. Then they go back. Forward. Back. Forward. Back. Like a little turtle going into her shell for safety and retreat.
Sound familiar to any of you?
I notice when these women come to me, they have a lot of confusion around what's going on, and also massive self-judgment. Questions like:
Why do I keep getting stuck? What is wrong with me? Why is this taking me so long? Why am I so scared to become visible and be that feminine leader I know I am meant to be?
I get it. I've been there. I know how painful it is.
There are a lot of fears that come up around being more visible as a feminine leader. It's a vulnerable place to be. We have thousands of years in our collective history where women have been persecuted for speaking their truth.
But eventually, in my case, I was so uncomfortable with keeping myself small; keeping my voice hidden; keeping my gifts, truth and my power inside—that I had to do something about it. I knew I was meant for bigger things - bigger stages, bigger platforms, bigger venues. So, I went for it.
I gave a TEDx talk in 2015 at TEDxStMarksSchool outside of Boston amongst the former CEO of Apple, a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist, the president and CEO of the Mayo Clinic, an MIT professor, a leader in cancer research, a former governor of New Jersey, a Cambodian monk, a beloved English teacher, and among other distinguished professionals.
It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
I want you to know that if you have some major fears around visibility, you are not alone. This is an epidemic for women. And understandably so because of our history.
With that said, I believe it is paramount for more of us to be using our voice as public speakers on influential stages and platforms to share our ideas, tell our story, bring our creativity, vision, wisdom and feminine perspective to the forefront, and lead the cultural conversation, rather than follow it.
Whether you are speaking to an arena of 10,000 people, a theater of 100 people, or a roomful of 10 people, your voice matters. It is your voice that will bring about the much needed social and political change that our world needs.
5 Reasons You Should Give a TEDx Talk
1. You will empower other women and girls.
When you step on the TEDx stage as a leader speaking about the change you are here to create in the world, you not only empower yourself, you empower all women and girls around the world. You become a role model, and other women and girls everywhere can begin to see themselves on stage as leaders, confidently speaking and delivering an important message to improve the well-being of our world.
2. You will shift the balance of power.
Women’s voices are all too absent in leadership positions and in all the places that have influence on our laws and public policies. When you use your voice to share your ideas, your vision, and the change you are here to create in the world, you step into leadership and help shift the balance of power to move us in the direction of partnership with men and the masculine, ultimately leading to more justice and equity.
3. You will improve the human rights of women and girls.
As you help shift the balance of power toward a partnership between the feminine and the masculine, the atrocities that women and girls are currently experiencing every day around the world, including rape, sexual slavery, domestic abuse, forced child marriage, genital mutilation, infanticide and outright murder, will start to dissipate. Shining your light on these topics will make them more difficult to sustain. By stepping on stage as a public speaker and embodying feminine leadership, you contribute to moving us out of a misogynistic system.
4. You will speed up the rate of social change.
When you stand on stage and deliver your TEDx talk, you are mobilizing others to get on board with creating the change that you envision for the world. The people who come to hear you speak—or watch your video—will be drawn to you because you are putting a stake in the ground and coming full out with your truth. Your truth is the cause you were born for. When you speak openly and honestly about this, the people who need to find you will find you. They may become your partners, or fellow activists or advocates. By putting your stake in the ground with your TEDx talk, you will quickly be growing and speeding up the rate by which you want to create change.
5. You will increase your influence, income and Social Impact.
This last thing is a very practical one. Once you present your TEDx talk, you will be recognized as a leading expert in your field and increase your influence moving forward. Some of the benefits in this regard include: receiving invitations to speak and participate at influential conferences, to the media, and at prominent events; reaching tens of thousands of people with your message; enjoying a steady stream of clients; enjoying more income; and ultimately making the big impact in the world you know you were born for. How can you turn all of that down?
Now that you have five outstanding reasons to give a TEDx talk, it’s time to take the next step. I am offering a Free Masterclass for women leaders and emerging leaders on September 10th to help you overcome self-doubt and up-level your speaker and stage confidence. Get details & register here.
Tabby Biddle, M.S. Ed., is the bestselling author of Find Your Voice: A Woman’s Call to Action, a TEDx speaker, a private coach to TEDx speakers globally, the speaker coach for TEDxDelthorneWomen in Los Angeles, and the creator of Women On Stage, a 10-week online course & group coaching program for women aspiring to speak on the TEDx stage. Connect with Tabby.