A CEO of a major company has a simple piece of advice if you hate public speaking.
Public speaking is a nerve-wracking experience for a lot of people. You step up to give your big presentation and suddenly, your hands are clammy, your throat tightens and your mind goes blank.
Anyone who's done it knows it's an awful experience.
Well, thankfully, tech giant Christophe Fouquet, CEO of Dutch semiconductor giant ASML, has a simple piece of advice for keeping it together.
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The CEO most recently spoke at a series of interviews at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month.
And here it is: Inhale and exhale. No, really, that's it.
"Watch the way you are going to breathe for the first 30 seconds," Fouquet said on a Norges Bank podcast posted on Wednesday. "If you breathe too fast, then your presentation will go wrong very quickly."
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And that’s it. No fancy techniques, no complicated hacks (and no picturing anyone naked), just focus on steady, controlled breathing.
As Fouquet is probably no stranger to high-pressure speaking environments, the CEO also shared the activities that help him avoid stress such as listening to music, playing sports and spending time with his kids.
ASML is Europe's second-largest tech company and manufactures the lithography (extreme ultraviolet) machines that major chip manufacturers like TSMC, Samsung and Intel rely on.
Since taking over as CEO in April 2024, Fouquet has been tackling the AI boom, international trade tensions and pressure from Western governments to limit sales of ASML’s tech to China due to AI security concerns.
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Valued at $282 billion, the company has also been dealing with weakening demand for chips, with its stock down nearly 20% over the past year.
But Fouquet's not alone in his mindset. Other high-powered executives also swear by their mindfulness techniques.
Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff said that he starts each day by meditating for 30 to 60 minutes.
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"I'm grateful to have learned how to meditate 30 years ago because I learned how to stop the inner critic," Benioff posted on X in 2019.
Meanwhile, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio classed his meditation practice - which dates back to 1969 - as 'the single most important reason for whatever success I've had.'
If you're looking for more public speaking tips, Google CEO Sundar Pichai also recommends the 'rule of three.'
This is a simple technique that breaks down complex ideas into three key points, making them easier for your audience to understand and remember.