Powerful Presenting For Leaders

Hosted by David Thomas global speaker and executive speaking coach

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Episodes

166

Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

David Thomas, global speaker and executive speaking coach, shows leaders how to handle their nerves when presenting, really connect with their audience and walk off feeling like a presentation rockstar! https://www.CreatingPresentationRockstars.com

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May 22, 2026Episode 16635 min

#166 Lessons Learned Speaking At Wembley Stadium

I spoke at Wembley Stadium to 300 leaders — here's everything I did to prepare, what went wrong on the day and the lessons every presenter needs to hear. Whether you're stepping onto a stage for the first time or you've been presenting for years, this episode breaks down the real behind-the-scenes intensity of delivering a high-stakes talk — from the moment you get the call to the second you leave the stage. In this episode you'll discover: ✅ How to make sure you're the RIGHT fit for an audience before you say yes ✅ Why arriving early is one of the most powerful things a presenter can do ✅ The unexpected last-minute challenges I faced at Wembley — and how I handled them ✅ Why removing the lectern was the best decision I made on the day ✅ How to create genuine connection with 300 people in the room This isn't theory. This is what actually happened — the prep, the nerves, the adaptations, and the wins. 🎙️ David Thomas is a Guinness World Record holder, global professional speaker and leadership presentation skills coach who has delivered keynotes to audiences around the world.

August 15, 2025Episode 16517 min

#165 Do you NEED to memorise a speech?

When non-professional speakers can memorise a speech and deliver it without notes, that puts them in the top 1%. But Jamie Oliver won 2010 TED speaker of the Year while clutching a pile of notes a mile thick all the way through. So which is best? Memorise it and get stressed that you will forget something? Or use notes and lose connection with the audience? In this episode, David goes through three different ways to learn your presentation while still being able to have massive impact on the audience.

August 8, 2025Episode 16415 min

#164 The perfect structure for EVERY talk

Want to smash that next presentation? Put your content in the right order. There is one structure that is perfect for every single presentation whether that is a keynote speech, a sales pitch or 1-2-1 appraisal. But hardly anyone does it. In this episode, David goes through how, working with apprentices, he has been able to hone this process to make it universally powerful.

July 17, 2025Episode 16319 min

#163 Get Some Baubles In Your Talk

A presentation with only education in it is like a Xmas tree without baubles. Boring and forgettable. Stories, humour and entertainment are the baubles, tinsel and lighting that bring every presentation alive. In this edpisode, David relates a story and why it works so well with his target audience.

May 6, 2025Episode 16211 min

#162 Three things you need in EVERY presentation

There are three things that EVERY presentation should have - education, inspiration and entertainment. Problem is, most presentations are 99% education and that makes them a lecture. And no-one wants to hear a lecture.

January 21, 2024Episode 16139 min

#161 12 hard lessons I learned from speaking in 2023

David is not just a presentation skills coach, he is out there banging out talks in front of audiences every week. In this episode, he outlines 12 different lessons he learned from 12 different events, one from each month. As a leader who wants to be the best version of themselves every time they present, you can apply every lesson he has .

October 17, 2023Episode 16015 min

#160 Is AI going to make presentation skills obsolete?

David recently watched a fantastic interview with the creator of DeepTomCruise, a TikTok channel. He thought it would be a frivolous (ish) conversation about creating fun videos. But it was way different than that. The creator of the videos was thoughtful, smart, business savvy and had a very deep insight into the future of AI, deep fake videos and what it means for all of us. What David heard and saw was incredibly exciting and at the same time, disturbing and unsettling. In this episode, he gives the relevant highlights of the interview, what AI means for speaking and whether it will be the nail in the coffin for real, live face to face presenting.

April 3, 202316 min

#159 Death to Powerpoint (as we know it)

'Death By Powerpoint' has been a well worn phrase that shows just how horrifically bad most presenters use this application. But in this episode, David explains how Powerpoint - and more specifically what we put on the screen - can absolutely transform ANY presentation. He shares the following: The single greatest Powerpoint RULE that 90% of presenters break Why images are massively more powerful than words (and it's not because they are pretty) His transformational experience with explaining to audiences his Guinness record reciting Pi to 22,500 digits What you should do if Powerpoint goes down

March 27, 202320 min

#158 How to be the host with the most

Being the MC of a conference is a job that can make or break a fantastic event. David was recently asked to coach a client to perform this role who had volunteered to do it but had never done it before. In this episode, he shares the following: Pros and cons of using someone internal Best practice of introducing upcoming presenters The pitfalls to look out for Managing the minefield of Q&A with your superiors Why humour is the ONLY currency

February 14, 2023Episode 15717 min

#157 You are nowhere as special as you think you are

All David's presentation skills coaching clients tell him the same thing. That 'their' speaking/clients/products/service is unique and different to everyone else's. But in reality, the basic principles behind great presenting are the same whether it is speaking at a Board meeting of a billion dollar company or being the compere of a Masked Dancer event at a conference, both things that David has prepared clients for in just the last two weeks. In this episode, David shares how to get the basics nailed down so you can be a presentation rockstar, whatever the audience and whatever the talk.