Articles

Because I’ve trained them to do so, I know that many negotiators have learned how to read body language and to use the resulting insights to their advantage. But other negotiators miss valuable opportunities to read their counterparts’ nonverbal messages — simply because they don’t pay attention. They get so wrapped up in what’s being […]

TRUST. Every leader needs it. Trust is the foundation for successful collaboration. It is the glue that bonds team members and builds organizational commitment and engagement.  But there is a problem. We learn what is important to leaders by the behaviors we see modeled by those leaders, and too often there is a “say-do” gap […]

Years before I began researching, writing and speaking on body language and leadership presence, I researched, wrote, and spoke on change leadership. This article reflects the seven biggest mistakes I discovered then. Take a look and see how many of these mistakes are still being made today: Mistake #1 Not understanding the importance of people. […]

Working with clients as a therapist in private practice, and now as an executive coach, I’ve learned some valuable, but unorthodox lessons about goal setting: Don’t focus on building up your areas of weakness. Talents overlooked may atrophy, and weaknesses — regardless of how much effort is put into trying to improve them — will […]

Although there are many nonverbal strategies that help you look like a leader, there are gender, situational, and cultural differences that impact their effectiveness.  But one body language truth is universal: You are the most convincing, motivating and charismatic when your body language reflects your best authentic self.  You probably already realize that it isn’t […]

Change is difficult — and we have plenty of reasons to resist it! No one likes to contemplate letting go of the skills and behaviors that “got us here.” As individuals, we become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable. But even more difficult than fighting off the inertia of […]

A few years ago, I was giving a presentation to the CEO of a financial services company, outlining a speech on “Leadership Presence” I was scheduled to deliver to his organization the next day. And it wasn’t going well. Our meeting lasted thirty minutes, and through that entire time the CEO sat at the conference […]

Do People See You as the Talented Leader You Truly Are? There’s no doubt that displaying leadership presence will help set you up for that next promotion or give your career an extra boost by making you stand out from your peers. But leadership presence isn’t automatically assigned to you because you have a leadership […]

When I present seminars on leadership presence, I ask my audiences: “What is the first thing you think of when you hear the term self-promotion?” Men often respond with answers like: “Self-promotion is smart,” and “Staying visible is crucial to success.” Women, however, are less comfortable with the concept: “I don’t want to be one […]

As more interactions move from in-person environments to online events, your ability to project virtual leadership presence is quickly becoming the key to your continued success. Whether you are interviewing for a new job, presenting to the executive team, or facilitating a team meeting, you are the most influential when you express your core values […]

Work from home, don’t meet in person – or if you must get together, keep your social distance! As we increase our efforts to fend off the spread of the COVID-19, we need to watch that we aren’t worsening another threat to public health: loneliness. The “loneliness epidemic” has seen rates double in the United […]

I have been speaking on the topic of leadership presence for several years, but only lately created a program designed for women – and the question I get most often is, “Why focus on women?” My answer is, as they say in the commercial, “Because we’re worth it!” We’re highly educated. According to the National […]

Most leaders agree that effective collaboration is more important than ever in today’s turbulent business environment. In fact, a company’s very survival may depend on how well it can combine the potential of its people and the quality of the information they possess with their ability — and willingness — to share what they know […]