Insights: CEO Coaching
Speaking with Authenticity: First, Connect with What’s Most Important to You
Early in my consulting career I led a communication workshop at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The topic was “speaking with authenticity.” I was extremely nervous.
Executive Presence and Your Voice
In the drug development process, there is sometimes a crucial moment when a team of pharmaceutical executives is asked to present and answer questions in Washington, D.C. before a panel of experts and the FDA in an open public meeting. Hundreds of millions—sometimes billions—of dollars, years of work and the entire future of the company […]
How Body Language Affects Executive Presence
Body language can have a strong impact on executive presence. In general, you want to make sure that your body says what you want it to say: that you are relaxed, comfortable and confident. Everyone’s body language is different. Different cultures and organizations also have different norms that help define what executive presence looks like. […]
Developing Executive Presence: Why Your Words Matter
To some extent, you can identify someone with executive presence by what they say and how they organize their words. People with executive presence use words that are simple, clear and understandable. They participate and share their ideas fully, but they are efficient and don’t talk on and on in circles. How do they do […]
To Increase Your Executive Presence, Be Authentic
David was a leader in a technology company. Highly driven and successful, he had been on a fast-track through a series of quick promotions, and he was known for adding tremendous value and getting things done. People liked David, but they didn’t fully trust him. When you talked with David, he was just a little […]
Time Management Tips: Take Time to Save Time
Most of the leaders that I work with, at one point or another, ask me about time management. Usually the question arises because they’re stressed and overwhelmed. Often they are balancing high-pressure leadership roles with the commitments of having a family with small children. Their partner often also works. It’s just a lot to juggle. […]
Time Management Tips: Help Others Help You
Most executives feel overloaded, at least some of the time. When a client tells me that they need to work on time management, I go through a “Productivity Checklist” with them, looking for areas they can further improve to make their lives more sane. One place to look is at the people around you. If […]
How to Be a More Diplomatic Executive, Part 3
Click here to view Part 1 and Part 2 in the series. 9. Choose Your Method of Communication Carefully. It’s good to put a filter on your brain that’s always asking, “What’s the best way to engage in this communication? Is it email, a phone call, a text message, a face-to-face conversation?” For example, if […]
How to Be a More Diplomatic Executive, Part 2
Today we continue the three-part series with four more ways to develop diplomacy. Click here for Part 1. 5. Suspend Judgment and Allow a More Complex Picture to Form. A close cousin to curiosity, suspending judgment means avoiding putting people or ideas into a box. One thing I’ve noticed about most people who have a […]