Yesterday’s golden Olympic performance by ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White make it look easy. You might even think, “I can do that.”

Kind of reminds me of a beautiful flock of ducks gliding in a lake. Looks effortless above the water, while feet are peddling like crazy underneath.

Illusion vs. Reality

Davis and White practiced for seventeen years to create an illusion at the Iceberg Skating Palace. Sally Jenkins, columnist for The Washington Post writes, “Their fleet, whirling performance of “Scheherazade” was just a masquerade for two athletes straining to do something unimaginably hard: win in a sport historically dominated by Russians and Canadians, on Russian home ice.”

The illusion: Easy, smiles, woman enchanted by Persian king, regal love.

The reality: Pressure, hard work, discipline, nervousness.

Many of our Speak For Yourself® clients, including CEOs, knock on our door to overcome nervousness. The take aways from this Olympic performance on how to speak for yourself with power and presence:

• Easy performance results from lots of practice
• Lots of practice creates muscle memory
• Muscle memory adds to your confidence
• Confidence reduces nervousness and enhances your gravitas
• Gravitas produces results