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: [email protected]
Keep it clear, keep it confident, and keep it human.
