Female Firebrands Author Mikaela Kiner once asked me, "Why are you so authentic?" "What does that even mean?" I responded. She rephrased, "How did you get so comfortable being you?" I responded flippantly, "Well, who else would I be?" But deep down, I knew exactly what she meant. I had spent a lot of time pretending not to be myself earlier in life, at…
Developing Executive Presence Executive presence is the collection of skills and traits that allows leaders to lead others in order to become successful. It is intuitive and can be difficult to pin down, but you will know it once you see it or feel it. This is a main focus of my executive coaching practice. And what I'm seeing in remote work environments and…
I’m noticing a pattern in conversation with some of my coaching clients. They received feedback that they need to increase their executive presence, but the feedback stops there. So, I want to shed light on the mystery of executive presence, because when you break it down, it’s not a mystery at all. People with executive presence stand out. They command attention, project strength, and…
I’m not going to lie; I didn’t hate quarantine. But like many who are coming out of the cocoon and evolving toward our new sense of normalcy, I’m beginning to notice a few things I missed. For example, I recently attended a live event and I loved seeing many leaders I’ve worked with and feeling that raw, live energy – a.k.a. executive presence. People with…
Building relationships is key to developing influence and power. And if you are a leader, or aspire to be one, you need both because it’s how leaders achieve success. And for introverts, it’s no different. In my executive coaching practice, one of the issues I’ve noticed that my clients struggle with is networking. It’s even more difficult for my introverted managers and leaders. That’s…
As the leader, one of the key benefits of virtual meetings is the ability to manage who speaks. Why is this important? In a meeting setting, for example, the host may layout the meeting’s goal and objectives and present the related information. Now, for most introverts, they listen to talk. They’ll want to mull through the information before making an input. As such, the…
Virtual meetings give introverts a tool to increase influence and build a stronger team. Here is some quick guidance on how to use virtual meetings to your benefit. Participating in virtual meetings Too many introverts use virtual meetings as an opportunity to hide. When you are uncomfortable in situations with large crowds, it’s easier to go unnoticed in a virtual crowd with your mic…
At Amazon, meetings start in silence. For the first 30 minutes, everyone reads what is famously known as the Amazon Memo. The premise is simple: weeks prior to a meeting, the meeting leaders create a narrative memo to plan, prepare, flesh out ideas, and organize their thinking. The Amazon Memo is distributed at the beginning of the meeting and no one speaks until everyone…
