Your boss kindly tells you that the next step in your career progression includes public presentations. Because, for many, presenting publicly is frightening. I have always found it fascinating that, by far, the number one fear is public speaking.
Death is number five on the list.
Fear is paralyzing. I teach swimming and I teach public speaking. Getting past the fear is half the challenge in both situations. Because one of the things that sets us humans apart from animals is that we really care about how others view us. It helps to know that the audience is often on your side.