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LEARNING RESOURCES
up my communication with presentation
and storytelling skills.
Finding your unique leadership voice Building leadership presence
Based on the book by Paul Larsen, this video will expose What can we do to cultivate this presence?
attendees to ways of developing their leadership voice, After that conference call incident in
recognising the voice that they already have, and inspiring 2001, I initially despaired that I just did
others to do the same. not have that secret sauce, but as I sought
VIDEO advice and read up, I learned that presence
is not some innate quality that you either
have or do not have. Instead, executive
MBAexpress: Latest in leadership presence is a set of characteristics,
This course will help you explore leadership through a attitudes, and behaviours that you can
different lens by evaluating your leadership style and learn, as I did, which will enable you to
prepare you to capitalise on your own personal strengths. command attention and inspire others.
As a leadership and career coach over
Find this course in the AICPA Store and in the CGMA Store. the past six years, I have had the
COURSE opportunity to help my clients grow their
executive presence, create a favourable
impact, and advance in their respective
Leading the Shift: Leadership for Financial Professionals in careers. From my own journey and my
the 21st Century work with coaching clients, here are
Learn new communication and accountability tools, team practical tips that you can use to develop
engagement and alignment strategies, and tactics to your leadership presence:
improve execution, influence, and impact.
Be intentional about what and how
VIDEO
you communicate
Whether it’s a conversation, a
presentation, or a meeting, ask yourself
two key questions before you start: Who is
my audience? What is my purpose or goal?
that it is not about being good-looking or you present yourself to highlight To communicate effectively, you want
dressing in the latest fashion but about your talent, knowledge, and skill. In to try to match your words, your tone, and
being presentable and appropriate — a survey Hewlett conducted for the your understanding with the needs,
showing you care — and that it can boost book, 28% of 268 senior executives concerns, and expectations of your
your confidence and the impression you considered communication crucial audience. You communicate differently
make on others. While I never became a for executive presence. with your assistant manager than you do
full convert, I made substantial y How one acts: Gravitas is signalling with the audit committee of the board of
improvements to my physical appearance. that you have the confidence and directors.
These instances from my career credibility (including technical Whether you’re speaking to one person
illustrate my learning that these three competence) to get your point across or a larger audience, consider the level of
strands of personality — how you speak and create buy-in, staying composed their knowledge or understanding on the
and communicate, how you act and and in the moment. Sixty-seven subject matter. What is the posture your
inspire confidence, and how groomed you per cent of the survey respondents audience might be bringing to the
are — are crucial components of executive suggested that gravitas was crucial for presentation you are giving? What do you
presence. executive presence, Hewlett wrote in want them to take away from your
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an economist and her book. presentation? What outcome do you want
author of Executive Presence: The Missing y How one looks: Appearance is how for them, for yourself, and for your
Link Between Merit and Success, explains you present yourself physically, relationship?
this as: including your body language. A simple trick of jotting down your
y How one speaks: Communication Appearance is a combination of good answers to the above before you go into a
is how you interact with people, how posture, essential grooming, and meeting or conversation will help you feel
appropriate dressing. more comfortable in front of a crowd and
The core skill for executive presence is, communicate more effectively.
Resource of course, communication. Some years
Report after my 2001 wake-up call referred to Speak up in group meetings
above, I was sponsored as a high-potential Companies want finance professionals
A Leadership Guide for talent to attend a presentation skills with business acumen who understand
the Risk Leader programme at Disney’s Burbank, the value chain, how the firm makes
California, headquarters, which ramped money, and how it must evolve to stay

30 I FM MAGAZINE I August 2022