The Look & Sound of Leadership

A corporate leader, wanting to grow into the next level of presenting, asks her coach how she should think about her rehearsal time in order to get the most out of it.Don’t rehearse to memorize and recite. Instead, imagine yourself as the ski guide in Tom’s analogy. Own the mountain and you’ll only need to remember the banners.Tom’s six tools for supercharging your rehearsals:Imagine that...

Two leaders in a long-running feud both want the fighting to stop but cannot find their way to peace. Their coach gives them each homework to quiet the ill intent they ascribe to the other, allowing respect to emerge.It’s hard to stop fighting with a person who feels like sour milk.Tom’s three steps to help stop a fight are:Self-awareness – how are you contributing to keeping the fight...

A highly effective leader finds herself in the middle of a terrible mess, not of her own making. When her coach marvels at her ability to stay calm amidst the chaos, she shares a lesson she learned from her dad.Tools and concepts in this episode:“People are doing their best” embodies acceptance, and acceptance creates better outcomes.Quiet cycles of doubt by:Clarify what exactly are you upset...

A chief officer reflects on the burdens of senior leadership. While grateful for its privileges, he’s keenly aware his title can put up barriers between himself and others. Typical burdens of leadership:People put up barriers because of your power;You are a public figure and will get judged, often harshly;You are always on display;Feeling entitled because of your heavy lifting.Tom suggests three...

With her company on the brink of disaster, a leader hungrily tackles the art of delegation, learning three models on the way. The episode frames delegation as being primarily about getting your people ready.To get people ready, screen each delegated task against three filters:Skills & Will – do people need training or coaching?Control – who has it and how much?Measurement – what is each...

A chief officer finds himself repeatedly triggered by a peer. Afraid he’s going to say or do something he’ll regret, he asks his coach for tools.Three categories of self-regulation tools:PhysicalInternalExternalA visual tool with specific tools in each category is in our Tool bin. Ready for coaching? Reach out to Tom here.There are always more resources in our monthly email. Hear Tom’s most...

A brilliant but rather shy leader is challenged by her management to be bigger, more executive, speak up more. She is grateful to work with a coach.You can build muscle around getting your voice heard by creating homework for yourself. Think of it like going to the gym: working out regularly helps you build muscle. When creating homework, ask yourself three questions:What am I going to pay...

Tom interviews Dr. Lois Frankel about women in the workplace and other ideas in the just-published third edition of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. Listen to the full, unedited conversation here.Get the “Nice Girls” book, here.If you’re curious about a chemistry call, pop Tom an email.There are always more resources in our monthly email. COACHES!You are always welcome at the Executive...

Before testifying in a high-stakes case, a theorist and his coach swap horror stories about their nerves hijacking them and the lessons they learned.Tom’s top four idea for conquering nervousness:Write happy endingsCelebrate incremental improvementExternalize your nasty voiceIgnore your nervesApplying these techniques using our free PDF about mastering nerves. The clip of Emma Stone battling her...

A leader is getting pressured to stop being so prickly and gain some humility. With her coach, she explores whether it’s even possible for humility to ever be a strength. Core concepts in this episode:Humility is confidence without defensiveness.Assess yourself on the humility scale. “How do I respond to challenges?”Humble leaders are confident in their authority.Ask frequently: “How might I be...