Insights: Communications Coaching
Keeping in Touch with Your Growing Org
Your org has gotten big. Really big. In the past you led hundreds of people, but now you’ve got thousands. How can you stay connected with so many people? How can you be accessible without burning out? And maybe hardest of all, how can you make sure they consistently get the right messages from you? […]
Nervous about Public Speaking? Here’s How to Get Past It
Do you get anxious before a presentation? You’re not alone—most people have some level of fear of public speaking. In my experience coaching hundreds of people around high stakes meetings and presentations, I can tell you it’s extremely common at all levels up and down organizations. You’re not alone! Public speaking has been said to […]
Increasing Confidence from the Outside-In
There are two ways to increase confidence: by changing how you think, and by changing how you act. Both approaches are useful, and often you can work on confidence from both directions. To learn more about building confidence from the inside, read How to Develop Confidence From Within. In this post, I focus on the […]
Speaking with Authenticity: Transcend Your Script
Many speakers I’ve worked with struggle to be authentic because they are working from a word-for-word script. They are giving a big keynote address, the stakes are high, and they don’t want to miss anything. They may even have a comms team helping them create the presentation. In the end, they have a polished script, […]
Speaking with Authenticity: Use Techniques Without Losing Yourself
Authenticity is a powerful foundation for a successful presentation. But to be your best as a speaker you have to get it right on the inside and on the outside. On the inside, you have to know what’s true for you, why you are passionate about your topic, what you really think, feel, believe and […]
Speaking with Authenticity: Know Your Audience, Tell Your Story
If understanding what you are passionate about is one foundation of a highly authentic presentation, then understanding your audience is another.
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. […]