Why do smart, fluent professionals freeze the moment they have to speak English in a meeting?

Dr. Fay Niewiadomski has spent decades coaching presidents, CEOs and ministers across more than 40 countries. She joins Sean and Howie to talk about the pressure that comes with English as the world's language, why perfectionism keeps so many people silent, and a simple formula for speaking up on the spot.

Her take on perfect English? It's a race where the finish line keeps moving, and you signed up for it yourself.

IN THIS EPISODE

- Why English became the world's language, and the "million judges" that came with it

- What English carries from British history (yes, including a nursery rhyme about the plague)

- The gap between a perfect grammar score and real communication

- The honest opening sentence that disarms a judgmental room

- BLUF, "practice makes progress" and the spotlight switch

- Fay's 3 Cs of leadership: competence, courage and compassion

- How accents shape credibility, from London lecture halls to AI avatars

- Fay's aide-mémoire: tell them what you'll tell them (in 7 words or less), tell them, then tell them what you told them

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Welcome and introducing Dr. Fay Niewiadomski

01:00 English as the British Empire's greatest conquest

03:00 "A million judges"

05:00 Language proficiency vs real communication

08:00 The honest opener that disarms a room

10:00 BLUF and the moving finish line

12:00 Be the spotlight on your audience

14:00 The 3 Cs: competence, courage, compassion

17:00 Psychological safety and honest feedback

19:00 AI avatars, accents and authority

21:00 Fay's aide-mémoire for speaking on the spot

25:00 Bringing English to Lebanon's schools

26:00 Where to find Fay and closing

CONNECT WITH DR. FAY NIEWIADOMSKI

Website: https://www.ictn.com

Book: Decisions That Matter: Rethink, Reimagine, Reset Your Life

WORK WITH US

Book a free discovery call with Sean (pronunciation, fluency, business English): http://tiny.cc/v5oa101

Work with Howie (leadership, mindset): https://tinyurl.com/yty9n5np

Howie's Substack: https://tinyurl.com/askhowie

Sean's Substack: https://tinyurl.com/rdxyeses

Visit us: https://thefluentedge.com

Contact: info@thefluentedge.com

Keep it clear, keep it confident, and keep it human.