Recently, we hosted brunch, and someone asked how, after living in Austin for only six months, were we able to throw our first annual ‘Naughty or Nice’ holiday party and have 40 curated guests show up. It comes down to masterful networking. I arrived in Austin, with two goals: To become part of the business community and to make friends. Before Austin, we’d…
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…
Increasing your charisma and mental speed or "thinking on your feet" plays a big role in how you show up as a leader and demonstrate executive presence. The goal is to be who you are and have that be exactly how you want other leaders to see you. And that takes practice. I help clients practice increasing their thinking speed by having them deliver…
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…
