How to lead your speech instead of following a script

Published: 2/23/2026

One of the most common tells that a person is struggling to remember their script is when they start looking for it. Up, down, around, as if the next line will appear on the floor or ceiling.

We’ve all done it. And we’ve all seen people reach for their lines in exactly this way.

The one place no one ever thinks to check?

The audience. Specifically, their eyes.

But how could your words manifest on someone’s eyeballs? Especially scary eyeballs you’re afraid to disappoint?

The Art of Focus

If you’ve ever tried meditation or yoga, you’re familiar with the concept of sending your awareness to different places or parts of your body. As you read this, your focus may be in the back of your head, letting your body run without much conscious thought. That’s where we spend most of our time.

But when you’re engaging an audience, you need full presence with them, not with elusive words you wrote somewhere else. So the trick is simple: bring your focus from the back of your head directly in front of your face.

Suddenly, you’re more aware of what’s happening in front of you than what you were thinking about. This is how you get ready to complete a challenging task or learn something new. And it’s how you get ready to lead your talk.

Don’t Play Catch Up

Struggling to remember a line or a point is like chasing after your speech hoping it will slow down for you. Great speakers know that it’s up to them to get out in front, and the words will follow.

When you’re fully focused on the audience and the moment, your brain shifts from passive speech reciter mode to active persuasion and leadership mode. Your whole body, instead of lagging and waiting for a cue, will convey and even enhance your message.

Give it a try – notice how you stand up straighter, your gestures flow more naturally, and your voice gains authority and presence just by being present with what you're saying. Instead of one overwhelmed brain trying to manage several moving parts and continually reaching for a script, you act as a team supporting different expressions of the same message.

Eyes are the Windows into your Speech

Now it’s time to take that forward focus and plant it on someone. Don’t be shy. Find a friendly pair of eyeballs and gently set your gaze on them.

Why does this work? I truly do not know. Do we all share the same consciousness, speak the same truth, and find our recommendations to the board in each other's souls as we become one for 3.4 seconds of eye-to-eye transfusion?

Or is it just a moment of adrenaline that kicks your (properly focused) brain into gear to bring you to the next point?

Both could be true.

Either way, one thing is certain – you will continue your presentation. And whether your next sentence matches what you wrote or not, no one will have any clue if something goes differently from the plan. The divine mind meld will make sure of that.

You Can Even Create New Lines

You read that right. What if someone hits you with a surprise question? What if you have to stand up and present with little to no preparation?

Fear not. Your next lines may not exist until you say them, but they will appear in your audience's eyes just like any prepared material.

Simply take a breath, smile, and bring your focus forward as usual. Your full presence and focus on the audience will help keep your answer relevant, coherent, and appropriately timed. If your eyes ever do drift to the floor, ceiling, or walls – death!

No, no, of course not. Just gently bring your focus back to where it belongs and don’t beat yourself up over a small hiccup. As long as your talk is generally on the right track and your presence is solid, no one will notice a minor slip up. And if you’re preparing for an interview, see my full guide here to ensure you ace it.

Leadership Means to Go First

Great leaders don’t hem and haw and wait for someone to hand them a decision. The same principle applied to speaking will help you project confidence and authority.

Don’t wait for lines to materialize. Get out in front of your talk and trust that the right words, gestures, and moves will accompany you at the right times.

Keep your focus forward. Full presence is the gift that you and your audience need to deliver your best. If you ever drift, just bring yourself back. Over time, this mode of speaking will be as natural and effortless as tying your shoes. You don’t wait for the next move there, do you?