Seeing Yourself As Others Do: Authentic Executive Presence at Any Stage of Your Career by Carol Ann Keers and Thomas Edward Mungavan
I read this book on Audible and found myself taking lots of notes while listening to the authors. There are many nuggets of practical advice on leadership, communication, and public speaking. This is timeless wisdom regardless of your role in business, or your title or career stage. The authors emphasize keeping it real with authenticity, making the book easy to digest. Authentic executive presence is not only for business leaders but for anyone in a work environment that strives to communicate a genuineness of being. Below are just a few of those observations.
Key insights on Authenticity:
- Remember, perception is reality – blind spots and weaknesses can get us into trouble
- Your behavior impacts the perception others have of you
- We judge ourselves by our intentions; others judge us by our behavior
- Executive presence is about creating a strong, positive impact
- Authentic executive presence is the goal
- Authenticity equals saying what you mean (internal) and doing what you say (external)
- Self-awareness is essential to being authentic
- Remember we are all human beings at work, not human doings
Attributes of Executive Presence – Acronym is CLEARLI
- Command the room – sense of authentic confidence and charisma
- Leverage influence and power – about getting people to take action
- Expectations – goal is to create and capture value; communicate clear expectations
- Audience connections – key question – what is the one thing you want the audience to know or go do when they leave?
- Relationship competence – creating relationships is the most important task as a leader; trust is key
- Listening engagement – Listening with integrity is important for effective communication; when you listen, really be there
- Inspiration, motivation and praise – people deliver their best when they feel valued and respected; people will remember how you made them feel no matter what you said
Some Practical Advice when giving presentations:
- Be
- Relevant
- Repetitive
- Creative in the repetition
- Speak the language of influence
- Remember the Rule of 3 – three key points (easier for listener to retain)
- Invest time to create a simple and clear presentation
- Ask – what is the one thing you want the audience to know or go do when they leave?
- Provide good stories to connect with the audience
- Remember your first and last 30 seconds are critical – open and close memorably
- A powerful opening can affect perceptions and impact the audience
- Presenting is all about connecting with the audience
- Make it real (back to authenticity)
“Without forgiveness there is no future.”
Desmond Tutu
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