For many speakers, the lectern feels like a safety net — a solid barrier between you and your audience. But in reality, it can also be a wall. When you stay rooted behind it, your body language becomes restricted, your energy contained, and your connection to the audience diminished.

Stepping out from behind the lectern signals confidence. It opens up your physical presence, allowing you to use gestures, movement, and eye contact to command the room. You become more approachable, more dynamic, and more able to adapt your delivery in response to your audience.

In our presentation skills training at https://www.presenterstudio.com/business-presenter-training/presentation-skills-training we work with clients to find their most effective stage presence. Often, this means encouraging them to break free from static positions and use the space around them. This doesn’t mean pacing endlessly — it’s about purposeful movement that matches your message.

Your audience will always respond better when they feel you are speaking with them rather than at them. And stepping away from the lectern is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to make that happen.