The Power of the Podium

Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

I have a fear of public speaking, but not in the way you’re probably thinking.

It’s been said that public speaking is the most common phobia in our society. If you have no fear of speaking in public, you generally have an edge over people who are afraid to take the stage. Why?

Because speaking or performing in front of people gives you power over them.

That’s not meant to be an exciting or morbid statement. It’s just a true statement.

And that’s what my fear is: a fear of the power given to me when I stand up, face a large group of people, and open my mouth. It’s like the fear of the Lord described in the Book of Proverbs: less mortal terror and more awe and reverence. This is “with great power comes great responsibility” stuff. Spider-Man may not be a public speaker, but he definitely gets it.

Standing in front of people and holding their attention carries a massive amount of influence. The words you say and the things you do stick in their minds and change them, even if only a little.

Tell someone a story or give them a pep talk, and you change their emotional state.

Tell them information and you educate them.

Public speaking often creates and conveys authority, whether it’s deserved or not.

In our day of internet-powered everything, this concept now extends to being in front of a camera. Being a YouTube or social media content creator has become a viable career option for those who are willing to put in the hours, build a following, and maybe even sell their soul.

Corporations understand it: they set aside big portions of their marketing budgets to buy a piece of the attention public figures receive when they perform. The 2026 World Cup was an example of this: FIFA and Fox were heavily scrutinized about their attempts to make bank off a bunch of elite athletes kicking around a ball.

And we also live in an era in which the social media activity of the most powerful people in the world can literally shape global trade and conflict day to day. Social media from public presences stops being the place where news is shared and starts being the news’ source. We’ve begun to see the consequences of people who take this awesome power and wield it selfishly, with little to no wisdom, humility, or sense of responsibility.

Public performance is vulnerable and uplifting at the same time. It can also be addictive and ego-inflating. And when people who own a “platform” make a public mess, their fall is often quite dramatic. Especially in our technology-soaked society where everyone can post their opinion in a matter of seconds.

These are some thoughts I consider every time I go up on a stage. I considered them again yesterday as I preached to a church congregation of thirty or forty people.

Public speaking itself—the feeling of being in front of everyone and stared at like I’m under a microscope—doesn’t scare me. I’m not sure it ever did, because I started doing things on a stage when I was in elementary school, performing simple magic tricks in a talent show and taking part in church Christmas plays. Since grade school, if I’ve had the opportunity to be on a stage, I’ve taken it (minus theatre, which I’ve somehow never done).

What does scare me is the idea that by being on a real or virtual stage, people will think I’m something I’m not or believe me when I accidentally say something false.

That’s why I do nothing while I’m on stage but be myself—my outgoing, golden-retriever, laugh-at-my-own-jokes-and-mistakes self. There’s an element of performance to it that’s unavoidable. But I’ve usually already planned my words and actions, even if I go off script a little when necessary. I’m not trying to be someone else when I’m on a stage, because to me, that’s a sure way to fail.

I’m fully aware that I can say or do a lot of things that other people might be embarrassed by, like stuttering or speaking too fast or tripping over my own feet. But as long as I own it and keep improving, no one in the audience/congregation will mind.

No, I’m not afraid of making a fool of myself on-stage.

I’m afraid of making people more foolish because of something I say or do when I have their attention.

Yesterday, as I was heading to my preaching engagement, I prayed, “God, hide me behind the Cross.”

He did. I was prepared, even if I didn’t say or do things exactly as I had thought I might. I still need practice, and things on stage almost never go exactly as I plan them. But that’s ok.

And many people have told me recently that I’ve gotten better and more confident in my public-speaking presence. I’m grateful for that, and humbled that the Lord has entrusted me with this gift.

My ongoing prayer is that the Lord will continue to humble me as I harness the power of the podium to make a difference. I often feel like I don’t deserve the kind of power that being on-stage offers. I’ve heard many leaders and internet influencers say it can chew you up and spit you out. And I don’t want that.

So I try to respect it, respect God, and respect the people I’m speaking to.

Because what good is this kind of power if I don’t use it responsibly?