HBR On Leadership How to Speak with Confidence When You’re Put on the Spot
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Jan 14, 2026 
In this engaging discussion, Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at Stanford and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart, shares his expertise on impromptu speaking. He emphasizes the importance of spontaneous communication for leaders, offering tips on managing anxiety and crafting compelling messages on the fly. Matt introduces the 'What, So What, Now What' structure for structuring responses and suggests strategies for sounding natural and memorable. His insights include using pauses and nonverbal cues to enhance delivery while embracing imperfection to connect better with audiences.
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Practice For The Unplanned
- Prepare for impromptu moments by practicing likely questions and answers, including with others or AI.
- Treat drills like athletic practice so you can be agile rather than memorize responses.
Answer With What, So What, Now What
- Use the three-question structure: What, So What, Now What to organize any quick answer.
- Fill those slots with your point, its relevance, and the next step to stay clear and concise.
A Four-Line Quick Pitch
- Use the four-starter elevator pitch: What if you could..., So that..., For example..., And that's not all.
- Slot your product benefits, audience outcome, brief example, and an extra benefit into those starters.
