Tag: Gravitas

Win A Yes! For The Plan

Posted on by Karen Moyse in Leadership Presence

Many of you will be presenting your plans to the board very soon.   To get what you want, know that the strongest predictor of who gets investment is not the credentials or the content.  Research shows that the strongest predictors are the traits: confidence, comfort level and passionate enthusiasm.

If you would like to be coached to craft the message, build executive presence or confidence to get that plan through, do contact us.   And if you are presenting now, have a look at the executive presence & presentation tips we post.  They might get you over the line!

Harvard Professor Amy Cuddy reveals data from Lakshmi Balachandra in her Presence book.  Balachandra investigated the way entrepreneurs made 185 pitches to potential venture capital investors and the way investors responded. It tells us a lot about how to win business budgets internally and with other investors.

The other interesting part of this research is that the investors distrusted ‘slick’ communicators and were looking for authenticity.

The clear message is that it’s important to focus as much time on your own ‘professional presence’ as on your content.  But how many times do you find your teams pouring over the final slides at the last minute rather than working on how they communicate?  It’s like going into bat with your hand tied behind your back.

The data may sound puzzling but it makes a great deal of sense.  What the investors or your board are looking for is people who will deliver the plan.  If the person looks like they don’t genuinely believe in the proposition or isn’t genuinely confident, why should the investor believe?

KineticFuture can coach you to be a world-class communicator and leader. Coaching 1-2-1 and in groups. Clients include Abbvie, Amgen, Gilead, GSK, Novartis, Mars, Pladis, WPP and Barclays. We have six main areas of work: Time to Think™ coaching, executive presence, presenting and storytelling, tricky conversations, resilience and communicating purpose.

Business woman in leadership standing in busy street with executive presence and gravita

Can They Lead Without You?

Posted on by Karen Moyse in Leading Others

Can your team lead key meetings without you? They have the technical expertise but well…  ‘they are not you’. Sadly, your bosses, clients and other key stakeholders recognise that they lack the confidence, gravitas and executive presence. The impact of having to be in each meeting on on your time and your team’s development is huge.

We coach Executive Presence. It really is the missing link between merit and success. We base our KineticFuture approach on solid global research and use theatre skills, real simulations, psychology and practice to ensure each person in the group can find their own authentic way forward. Contact us if you’d like to know about our group courses and one to one coaching.

It’s highly skilful coaching work but you can help your team right now with some quick tips and hints below. It’s worth it.

Quick Tips for Executive Presence, Confidence & Gravitas.

  1. Just do it – get them leading meetings without you. They will survive and grow with a bit of guidance. It’s worth the risk.
  2. Super prepare – some of your team will back off the prep because they are scared, others will spend too much time on the wrong things. Give them guidance on what to prepare and ensure they are clear on objectives, key messages and proof points. Can they answer the tough questions succinctly? Rehearse them through it.
  3. Physicality – they can make a huge difference just by rehearsing their physicality in a room. Ask them to walk in, sit down and start to explain the topic. Coach them to sit tall, open arms on the table, make good eye contact and stop any fiddling. Then maintain it come what may. Ask them too where they plan to sit – in easy eye-line of the key decision maker will help.

Words That Weaken You

Posted on by Karen Moyse in Leadership Presence, Leading Others, Leading Yourself

There are words that sneak into your language and undermine your leadership and executive presence. You don’t need them, and you can get rid of them fast! 

They signal to your boss, your clients or your colleagues that you are not confident, like little negative beacons. On our executive presence and presentation courses, our clients identify them, ban them from the workshop and set forfeits for each other if they sneak back in. You can play this game with yourself or a friend. Have a go. It’ll drive you nuts!  

So, find out more about our executive presence and presentation courses and find below the most common words that weaken you.

Here are our top six undermining filler words. So small yet so significant. All you need to do is to catch yourself and stop saying them – your authority and presence will rise.  

Maybe

Perhaps

Sort of

Kind of

I’ll try

Sorry

(stop apologising for being in the room!)

KineticFuture can coach you to be a world-class leader and communicator. Coaching 1-2-1 and in groups. Clients include Abbvie, Amgen, Gilead, GSK, Novartis, Mars, Pladis, WPP and Barclays.

We have six main areas of work: Time to think coaching, executive presence, presenting and storytelling, tricky conversations, resilience and communicating purpose.

Contact us to find out more