The Day I Forgot My Script

Years ago, I walked into a talk with every word planned. I’d rehearsed for days, pacing the floor, perfecting transitions, timing the jokes. And then, ten minutes before I was supposed to begin, the power went out.

No slides. No notes. No comfort.

For a moment, panic. Then, strangely, peace. I looked around the dimly lit room and realized — all I had left was Presence.

So I spoke from memory, from heart, from center. No script, no polish, no performance. And afterward, more people came up to thank me than at any event before.

That day taught me something important: Presence doesn’t need a plan to connect. It just needs you.

Join The Leaders’ Coffeehouse — a space for reflections on what happens when we lead without the script.