As women, we face a unique challenge when it comes to public speaking: the double bind of being expected to project both authority and warmth, confidence and relatability. It's an unfair and often unconscious bias, but one that can leave us feeling like we're constantly walking a tightrope between being "too much" and "not enough."
Several years ago, I traveled from New York to Geneva, Switzerland to be the closing keynote speaker for the World Communication Forum. I was excited to have the opportunity to speak with global leaders about how nonnative English speakers can present their ideas — and themselves — with greater clarity and confidence. For my allotted
How can you take the America’s number one fear—public speaking—and make it even scarier? Oh I know! By adding in almost no time to prepare. And who would do such a thing? Oh, just bosses, clients, the real speaker whose flight was delayed. So, in other words, it happens all the time, when you least
We're no longer "going remote" or "transitioning to online." It has already happened. If you're going to be leading online meetings, learning sessions, webinars, programs--whatever you call them--you need to develop special skills to keep people engaged. As someone who frequently facilitates webinars, virtual leadership programs, and online coaching (including presentation skills), I don't want to keep
As a leader, it's your job to help motivate, engage, and coach your people. And to do this, you need to have ongoing conversations with each member of your team to learn more about what makes them tick--and what ticks them off. This can be easy and rewarding when you're working with a direct report
Whether you're a startup, a new leader, or a seasoned professional taking on new responsibilities, you're trying to master every aspect of your business. But you can't have all the answers. No one does. Even so, the thought of getting bombarded with questions from clients or prospects that you can't answer quickly and intelligently probably keeps you
As a professional speaker and speaking coach, I rarely refer to notes while I'm actually speaking, and that's for three reasons: First, it's my job to know my content inside and out. Second, because my presentations are interactive, I have multiple opportunities to check my notes while my audience is doing an activity or having a discussion.
We've all worked with that person. Which person? The negative one who complains about everything, from looming deadlines and long commute times to the carb-heavy snacks and the slow elevator. The one who sighs when you ask her to do something even slightly outside of her job description. The one who names everyone else as the reason
After you email an expensive proposal to your price-sensitive client, or leave a message for your boss request for vacation time during the busy season, or ask for a raise or promotion (or both) after your last performance review, you have to wait patiently to hear back. And if you're anything like I am, waiting for information
