Don’t Cook Dinner in the Dark.

Ever tried it? You could do it. Probably. But would you like the results? Probably not.

That’s what it’s like when leaders accept the responsibility to present, but don’t rehearse. They waste their audience’s time and risk losing their trust.

Most leaders don’t have a rehearsal playbook. They click through slides. They scribble notes in the margins. They “find time,” and sometimes block it. They “wing it” in five- or fifteen-minute bursts between meetings.

That’s not rehearsal. That’s a gamble. And the stakes are your credibility.

It’s time for a playbook

Rehearsal is where ideas stop sounding good in your head and start sounding right out loud.

When you rehearse well, your brain starts doing something remarkable: it rewires. You move from remembering what to say to owning what you mean. Your message stops being a set of talking points and becomes a story. You move from presenter to strategic communicator.

At GatherRound, we teach a 5-step rehearsal process that transforms presentation prep from a last-minute chore into a deliberate act of leadership.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Tell your story out loud

Purpose: Capture your natural flow before slides get in the way.

Before you open PowerPoint or Keynote, just start talking. Tell the story the way you’d explain it to a trusted colleague. No slides. No script. Just the idea in motion.

Notice what feels natural: what you emphasize, where your energy rises and falls, when you get tripped up. This first version captures your instinct. It’s often closer to the truth of your message than anything you’ll later “write.”

Step 2: Tell it on video

Purpose: Build self-awareness before building confidence.

Once you’ve told your story out loud, record it. Don’t worry about lighting or polish. This is for your eyes and ears only.

Play it back and watch what happens when you hear yourself as your audience will.

Where do you ramble? Where do you come alive? Where does your energy dip?

The goal isn’t to critique. It’s to observe and adjust.

You’ll probably see gaps between what you meant to say and what you actually said.

💡 Pro tip: Never rehearse in front of a mirror. Your brain can’t deliver and critique at the same time.

Step 3: Tell it out loud again

Purpose: Smooth transitions and fine-tune expression.

Now that you’ve seen yourself once, go back and do it again, without the notes.

You’re not memorizing; you’re internalizing. You’re finding the rhythm of your story, and the most authentic language.

Pay attention to pacing. Add pauses where you want the audience to think. Trim what doesn’t serve the story. Vary your tone and pace. Speak faster when you want energy, slower when you want gravity.

Focus less on performance and more on presence. How can you serve the audience?

Step 4: Tell it for an audience

Purpose: Add pressure and perspective.

There’s no substitute for feedback. Gather a small test audience, ideally from two types of people:

1. Those with a stake in the outcome.

2. Those who knows nothing about it.

The first will test your content. The second will test your delivery.

Present your story as if it were the real thing. Watch their faces. See where they lean in and where they check out. Ask questions afterward:

• What’s the one thing you’ll remember?

• Was anything confusing or unnecessary?

• Are you clear on what I’m asking you to do?

The repetition is valuable, but the insights you hear back will be solid gold.

Step 5: Tell it two more times

Purpose: Convert competence into confidence.

There’s no such thing as “too much” rehearsal. Only wasted rehearsal.

If you repeat the same mistakes, you’re just reinforcing them. But if you adjust deliberately each time, your confidence compounds.

We recommend one hour of rehearsal for every five minutes of presentation time. It sounds extreme, but it separates pros from amateurs.

Because when the lights come on, no one cares how long you practiced.

They only care that you connect with them.

Why your brain loves repetition

Neuroscience has a name for what happens when you practice something intentionally: myelination.

Each time you repeat a skill—swinging a golf club, playing a chord, or telling a story—your brain strengthens the pathways that control it. It wraps them in a protective coating called myelin, which helps your thoughts and movements travel faster and more reliably.

This is the biology we have to thank for the idiom “practice makes perfect.” It’s actually science!

When you rehearse your presentation out loud, you’re training your brain to make the process automatic. You’re teaching yourself how to deliver your message with flow, confidence, and presence.

Do it enough, and the story becomes second nature. You stop performing and start connecting.

What to watch for

When you record and review your run-throughs, keep an eye out for the common traps that dull even strong stories:

• Monotone delivery – Your voice should have peaks and valleys aligned with meaning.

• Irregular breathing – Pausing to breathe signals confidence. Rushing signals nerves.

• Distracting gestures – Fidgeting, swaying, or tugging at clothing pulls attention away.

• Facial obstruction – Don’t hide behind a podium or your own hands.

• No eye contact – Look directly into the camera or audience.

• Lack of joy – If you don’t look like you’re enjoying it, your audience won’t either.

Each of these signals you’re still thinking about delivery instead of feeling it. Keep practicing until your delivery feels instinctive.

What to expect from quality rehearsal

Leaders who rehearse their presentations:

• Speak with clarity instead of clutter

• Project confidence without arrogance

• Hold attention longer and earn more trust

• Deliver ideas that stick long after the meeting ends

Rehearsal is how leaders show respect for their audience’s time, and that respect is what separates a decent presenter from an influential one.

Your next step

Choose one upcoming presentation and walk through these five steps. No shortcuts. No half-measures. Record. Reflect. Revise. Repeat.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your delivery sharpens, your confidence grows, and your message begins to resonate. When you rehearse with intention, you’re strengthening the very circuits that wire your brain and connect your audience to your ideas.

So stop making dinner in the dark.

Turn on the lights.

And start cooking up something extraordinary.

Want to go deeper?

Build your team’s Campfire Method® workshop, where leaders learn to rehearse, refine, and deliver stories that actually move people.

Humor: The Missing Ingredient in Executive Presence

In this week’s A Matter of Life and Decks, Libby and I were joined by the one and only Amanda Austin, who explored the connections between improv comedy and executive presence. It’s worth a witch watch.

🔥 Hi, I’m Eric, and every week, I share insights, observations and tools so you can ditch decks and light a fire in your high-stakes presentations. If you like what you see here, follow me on LinkedIn.