This Exec Was Terrified of Public Speaking and Now She Loves It

Why It Matters

Rossa’s story shows that targeted coaching and flexible career moves can turn personal fears into leadership strengths, offering a roadmap for executives seeking growth in high‑stakes environments.

Key Takeaways

• Overcoming public‑speaking fear transformed her leadership trajectory dramatically
• Coaching and visualization techniques turned anxiety into confident presentations
• Career pivots—from engineering to pharma—showed value of lateral moves
• Family support, especially husband’s role, enabled global relocations
• Honesty and attitude outweigh résumé details in hiring decisions

Summary

In a 15‑minute interview on the "15 Minutes with the Boss" podcast, Allison Rossa, country president of Novatus Australia and New Zealand, recounts how a crippling fear of public speaking once threatened her ascent to senior leadership. After a surprise promotion following maternity leave, she demanded a speaking coach; the coach’s practical drills—stage rehearsals, visualization DVDs, and watching the King’s speech—helped her convert dread into confidence, and she now enjoys addressing large audiences.

Rossa’s career narrative underscores two pivotal shifts: moving from a computing engineer to a medical‑rep role after redundancy, and later embracing a cross‑continental series of lateral moves that broadened her perspective. She credits her husband’s decision to become a full‑time dad for enabling the family’s global relocations, and she stresses that honest self‑assessment and a growth‑oriented attitude matter more than polished résumés when hiring.

Memorable moments include her admission, “I love public speaking now, even if I still get nervous,” and the analogy that executives should treat development like athletes—hiring coaches to refine weaknesses. She also reframes the corporate ladder as a "jungle gym," encouraging lateral experiences to build enterprise‑wide insight.

The conversation highlights actionable lessons for business leaders: invest in targeted coaching, view career progression flexibly, and foster supportive personal networks. Companies that normalize skill‑specific development and value attitude over pedigree can unlock hidden potential and drive stronger performance.

Original Description

When Allison Rossiter was offered a dream job, she had just one hesitation: she was terrified of public speaking.

But not wanting to walk away from the opportunity, the budding executive asked for a public speaking coach.

On this week’s episode, the president for Novartis in Australia and New Zealand tells BOSS (https://www.afr.com/boss) editor Sally Patten how a new coach, a hypnotist and a Hollywood movie helped her tackle one of her biggest fears.

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