I, Katie Huggins APC, had an interesting conversation with a client recently.
We were talking about public speaking, and she mentioned how much she admired speakers who were passionate. If you know, you know. The person who walks onto a stage and immediately commands the room. Their energy is contagious. Their voice has conviction. You can feel that they believe what they are saying.
I wanted to explore that a little more.
What was it about those speakers that she was really connecting with?
As we talked, we kept coming back to the word passion. But eventually, we landed somewhere slightly different.
Conviction.
And that distinction turned out to be really interesting.
Enter Dwight Schrute.
Naturally, our conversation eventually led us to The Office.
We started talking about the episode where Dwight gives his infamous speech. Jim has put together a public-speaking guide for Dwight, unbeknownst to him, based on dictators and political figures, including Benito Mussolini.
Dwight takes the advice very seriously.
To be clear, we were interested in the leadership and public-speaking lessons—we could probably leave the dictator style behind.
He pounds the podium.
He raises his fist.
He pounds the podium again.
He raises his fist again.
He is all in.
And the audience is captivated.
People start clapping. They are responding to his presence, his intensity, his “confidence”—or at least what looks like confidence.
But here’s the part that made us laugh:
Nobody really knows what he said.
The speech is confusing. The content gets lost somewhere underneath the performance.
And that gave us something interesting to explore.
What was it like to be Dwight?
Dwight is terrified of public speaking.
Yet, with a framework to follow, he has something to hold onto. He knows what to do with his hands. He knows how to stand. He knows how to project his voice. He has a structure.
And something changes.
He finishes the speech.
The audience applauds.
And Dwight looks like someone who has just discovered that maybe he can do this.
He did it scared.
That part matters.
Because sometimes we think confidence comes first and courage comes second.
But often, it’s the opposite.
Courage is doing the thing while you’re still afraid.
The framework gave Dwight enough structure to move through the fear. And when the speech was over and people applauded, that experience gave him a little more evidence that he was capable.
That can be incredibly powerful.
But what was it like to be in the audience?
This was the other question we explored.
The audience experienced Dwight very differently than Dwight experienced himself.
They saw energy.
They saw conviction.
They saw someone who seemed completely committed to what he was saying.
And let’s be honest: we can be deeply committed to a thought or belief and be completely misguided.
That’s an important distinction.
Conviction can be compelling, but conviction doesn’t automatically make us correct.
They responded to how he delivered the message—even though they weren’t necessarily connecting with what he was saying.
And that led us to one of the most important questions:
What was the takeaway?
There wasn’t really one.
People resonated with the energy.
But energy alone isn’t enough.
“I want to present with passion—but actually know what I’m talking about.”
At one point, my client said something that made me laugh:
“I want to present with passion, but actually know what I’m talking about.”
And I thought, There. It. Is.
Because maybe what she was really looking for wasn’t passion.
Maybe she was looking for conviction that comes from competence.
And, for my client, it was important that she empower her audience with understanding and tools.
There is a difference.
Passion can create energy.
Conviction creates belief.
And competence gives that conviction something to stand on.
When you deeply understand your subject, believe in what you’re saying, and have the courage to say it out loud, you don’t necessarily have to manufacture passion.
You can lead with conviction.
And conviction can be quiet.
It can be energetic.
It can be warm.
It can be intense.
It can even look a little like Dwight Schrute pounding a podium and raising his fist.
But unlike Dwight, the goal isn’t simply to captivate the audience.
The goal is to give them something worth taking away.
Better yet, the goal is to leave them with something they can understand, use, or act on.
That conversation made me think about the three things that often come together in powerful communication:
Competence: I know what I’m talking about.
Conviction: I believe this matters.
Courage: I’m willing to stand up and say it.
Maybe passion is what we notice.
But underneath it, there may be something much more important happening.
The most compelling speakers aren’t simply passionate about what they believe. They understand their subject, they know why it matters, and they have the courage to bring their audience along with them.
It’s amazing the valuable insights in leadership and communication we can discover from Jim, Dwight, and our friends at The Office.
You Don’t Have to Wait Until the Anxiety Goes Away
Maybe the goal isn’t to become fearless.
Maybe it’s learning how to move forward while fear, self-doubt, or anxiety are still along for the ride.
Whether you’re preparing to speak in front of a room, leading a team, making a difficult decision, or simply trying to trust yourself more, anxiety can make you question abilities you actually possess.
Counseling can help you understand what’s happening underneath that anxiety, build confidence through experience, and develop practical tools for responding differently when fear shows up.
At The Pursuit Counseling, we work with professionals, leaders, high achievers, and everyday people who want anxiety to have less influence over the way they live, lead, and pursue what matters.
You don’t have to feel completely confident before you take the next step.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with The Pursuit Counseling and find a counselor who can help you keep moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety, Confidence, and Leadership
Can anxiety make me feel less confident even when I’m good at what I do?
Yes. Anxiety and competence aren’t the same thing. You can be highly capable and still experience self-doubt, racing thoughts, physical tension, or fear of making a mistake. In fact, people who carry significant responsibility may feel considerable pressure to perform well. Therapy can help you separate what you feel in an anxious moment from what you actually know about your abilities.
Why do I get anxious when speaking in public?
Public speaking can bring together several common anxiety triggers: being evaluated, making mistakes, losing control, disappointing others, or not knowing exactly how people will respond. Your body may react with a racing heart, sweating, shaking, muscle tension, or difficulty concentrating. Learning to understand and respond to those reactions can make public speaking feel more manageable.
Do I need to get rid of anxiety before I can become more confident?
Not necessarily. Confidence often develops because you’ve repeatedly done difficult things—not because you waited until you weren’t afraid anymore. Learning to tolerate some discomfort while taking meaningful action can gradually give you evidence that you’re capable of handling challenging situations.
Can successful people and leaders struggle with anxiety?
Absolutely. Professional success doesn’t automatically eliminate anxiety. Executives, entrepreneurs, business owners, physicians, pilots, leaders, and other high-performing professionals can experience worry, perfectionism, imposter feelings, burnout, difficulty resting, and fear of failure.
Sometimes success can even make anxiety harder to recognize because the person appears confident and capable from the outside.
What is high-functioning anxiety?
“High-functioning anxiety” isn’t a formal clinical diagnosis. It’s a commonly used phrase describing people who appear productive or successful while internally experiencing significant worry, pressure, overthinking, perfectionism, or fear of failure.
Someone may continue accomplishing a great deal while anxiety quietly consumes significant mental and emotional energy.
How can counseling help with anxiety?
Counseling can help you identify anxiety triggers, understand patterns that keep anxiety going, challenge unhelpful beliefs, improve emotional regulation, and practice healthier responses to uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.
The goal isn’t necessarily to create a life where you never experience anxiety. It can be learning that anxiety doesn’t have to make your decisions for you.
When should I consider seeing a therapist for anxiety?
Consider talking with a therapist when anxiety begins interfering with your work, relationships, sleep, decision-making, physical well-being, or ability to enjoy your life. You also don’t have to wait until anxiety becomes overwhelming. Therapy can be useful when you simply notice that worry, pressure, perfectionism, or fear is taking up more space in your life than you’d like.
Where can I find anxiety counseling in Fayetteville or Peachtree City, GA?
The Pursuit Counseling provides anxiety counseling for adults, professionals, leaders, couples, teens, and families in Fayetteville and the surrounding South Atlanta area, including Peachtree City, Tyrone, Newnan, and Senoia. Online counseling is also available across Georgia.
If anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, or fear of failure is keeping you from pursuing what matters, schedule a free consultation with The Pursuit Counseling to explore your next step.