Insights: Communication
Five Habits for Senior Executives
Years ago I coached a new manager who was frustrated by the amount of time he spent in meetings. “I don’t have any time to do my real work!” he said. I walked him through an exercise. On the bottom half of a whiteboard, we brainstormed all his previous individual contributor work, the things he […]
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. […]
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 […]