Great Practice. Great Outcomes.

You can't turn influence on when it matters and expect results. Research shows that deliberate practice explained 21% of the variance in performance for music and 18% for sports Frontiers (Macnamara et al.). Translation: practice matters. Not just any practice—intentional, focused, disciplined practice that pushes you beyond your comfort zone.

Here are four reasons why practice determines your professional success:

Practice Builds Muscle Memory

When you practice a skill consistently, it becomes automatic. You stop thinking about making eye contact or eliminating filler words—you just do it. This frees up your mental energy to focus on your message and connecting with your listener. But this only happens with repetition. One good presentation doesn't make you influential. A hundred do.

Practice Reveals What You Don't Know

You think you're good at something until you watch yourself on video or ask for feedback. Practice exposes the gaps between your perception and reality. It shows you where you lose your audience's attention, where your gestures distract instead of enhance, where your message lacks clarity. Without practice, these blind spots destroy your credibility.

Practice Creates Consistency

Influential leaders aren't good some of the time. They're consistent Monday to Monday. Practice is what enables you to show up the same way in hallway conversations as you do in boardroom presentations. Consistency builds trust. Trust builds influence.

Practice Separates Good from Influential

Most people are good communicators. Few are influential. The difference? Practice. The willingness to do the uncomfortable work of improving, day after day, even when no one's watching. Champions in every field—from athletes to musicians—commit to practice. Why would your career be any different?

Stop waiting to be influential. Start practicing.