executive communication

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW: Most remarks from panelists and guests at fireside chats are formulaic, safe — and instantly forgettable. But master storyteller Shonda Rhimes recently showed how women leaders and other speakers can be memorable when they trade safe, familiar answers for blunt language, personal vulnerability and an unexpected point of view. Read on for three […]

Your authority alone may earn you the right to speak. But whether people believe you is earned as you speak. Moment by moment, your audience is judging your character, credibility and executive presence — and deciding whether to trust you. Aristotle gave us a practical framework to shape those perceptions. Here’s how to use it. […]

Have you ever poured your heart into a speech or business presentation – only to realize later that your audience didn’t get it (or didn’t care)? That’s a lost and wasted opportunity. And it happens when you focus only on what YOU want to say instead of WHO you’re saying it to. Here’s how risk-taking […]

The key to nailing a difficult point – and creating meaning that lasts – often lies just beneath the surface, in a story a leader has never told. When a thought partner uncovers that story and helps a leader find the courage to say what’s unsaid, everything changes. The message sticks. It resonates. It lasts. […]

What if your next persuasive speech leaves your audience with gifts they never saw coming? Gifts they will remember and treasure – long after they leave the room? Read on to learn the expected and unexpected gifts of persuasion, and why the art of persuasion in public speaking is an act of service, not self-promotion. […]

A longtime client recently asked me to lead a “train the trainer” workshop for subject matter experts – in accounting, IT, credit, purchasing and other business services – so these folks could improve the content and delivery of their professional presentations. All 40 of these experts-turned-presenters shared the same goal: To persuade their audiences to […]

A great speech is far more than a fleeting moment on stage. Instead, a great speech has the power to set a ripple effect in motion, creating a profound impact not just today, but in the weeks, months and even years ahead. The ripple effect you create with your next great speech might be felt […]