When we hear the word leader, we tend to think of words like smart, innovative, creative or visionary. Yet you may be surprised to learn, that’s not what many of you said when asked. Learn five key traits needed to lead by watching this video.
Some of us would rather have a tooth pulled than present at a meeting, but sharing our expertise does not have to be so daunting. This video shares four key steps to help you be a more confident and engaging presenter.
For a candidate who touts himself as a problem solver, Herman Cain is knee deep in a whopper problem of his own. If the way he has handled recent accusations of sexual harassment is an example of how he might react to issues on a global scale should he become President, then he may want to take a crash course in anger management and pay closer attention to his media trainer, assuming he has one.
In his recent confrontation with reporters, Cain came across as angry, defensive and argumentative. He actually yelled at reporters when they questioned harassment allegations. If he becomes President, will he yell at the media when they ask questions he doesn’t want to answer or he doesn’t agree with? He also looked down, instead of at the reporter. His lips tightened, making him look angry and clearly annoyed. And, instead of approachable, open body language, he pushed his hands outward which is aggressive body language and signals hostility and unfriendliness.
But body language is only part of the problem. Cain has escalated the media circus by changing his story, waffling on questions and failing to prepare. He said he didn’t remember? He said a lot of things have happened over the years and it wasn’t until he thought about it later that he started to recall. Seriously? Did he really think that allegations of inappropriate behavior and a reported payoff by the National Restaurant Association to a woman who complained that he acted inappropriately toward her would simply go away and never surface again? As a media trainer, I always tell people to make two lists. List one contains all the questions you expect. List two includes the questions you hope are never asked and that’s the list you better have answers for. Then, there is his choice of words. He’s aware of a financial agreement, but not a settlement? So here is what he must do:
a. Determine his message and stick to it. If he had stayed on message from the start and looked people in the eye when he answered questions, he would have fared far better and come across as more believable, committed to what he was saying and sure of himself. Instead he is coming across as insincere, argumentative and contradictory, which threaten his credibility.
b. Answer questions and put a lid on his agitated flip responses. When a reporter asked him if he was guilty of harassment, he did not answer right away and then, instead of answering, he spit the question right back at the reporter. This is almost like saying no comment and suggests that he may have something to hide.
c. Do it quickly as he’s already lost too much time and as a result the story is being told by everyone except Cain.
Finally, the Cain train needs to learn from this harsh dose of reality so they don’t make the same mistakes again.
Do you ever wonder how some people seem to capture attention every time they speak? Most of us are not born presenters, but this video offers quick tips and simple strategies for speakers of all levels.
Do you sometimes wonder if your message is really getting through to important listeners? This video offers quick effective techniques to make your message empower and impact others.
In this video, learn how to craft short, crisp and catchy snippets that drive home your point in an interesting and attention-grabbing manner. We call them ‘keepers’.
In today’s media savvy world, knowing how to shine in the spotlight is critical to your success. Discover what every executive should know about media to thrive and survive the spotlight.
As I post to this blog, I find myself in a unique situation that can certainly be characterized as a communication. Over the summer, I had dinner with a woman married to a business colleague of mine. She is passionate about her political beliefs which are polar opposite of mine and feverishly tried to engage me in debate but I resisted the bait, knowing the conversation would get heated and I might lose her husband’s company as a client. As I booted up my PC this morning, my in-box revealed an article that reinforced her political beliefs and took aim at mine. Truth be told, I wanted to let her have it—to correct and dispute her but knew nothing good could come of it. So instead, I emailed her back and politely replied: “Thanks for sending, but I don’t want to engage in this discussion with you since we are on opposite sides the fence and I don’t agree. “I thought that was the end of it. To my surprise and offense, I received a scathing long-winded response chastising me for not “engaging in debate”, failing to “defend your position”, exposing myself only “to those who agree with you” and tell me that a beautiful mind like mine is a “terrible thing to waste.” Wow. What to do?
Against my better judgment, I couldn’t resist the urge to engage. Taking a page from my own book, I carefully avoided negative words and personal attacks. I kept it short and said I felt no need to “defend” because having a different opinion is my right and that I respected her opinion even if I didn’t agree with it. I wrote “Let’s just leave this alone, we will never agree and we should agree to disagree rather than engage in personal attacks. Case closed. Not.
Moments ago, an even longer nastier email calling me “condescending”, “uninformed” “misguided” and not caring about the truth was staring me in the face. I had a clear choice: cease or continue. Believe me, I wanted to continue, but I chose cease. It has nothing to do with her husband client who I’ve probably already lost. But (page 181), it’s important to understand that this isn’t all that different from a business meeting where an attacker will continually disagree with your point of view just for the sake of being difficult, showing off to the boss or proving you wrong. Attackers love to argue your point of view and make it personal if they think they can provoke you. That’s why when communicating in business, it’s critical not to address differences with emotions.
I am big on humanizing information so listeners can relate emotionally in order to connect to what you’re saying, but in some cases, it’s more important to consider the bigger picture which is the final outcome. Your communication choice to engage in personalities goes beyond the two differing parties. It can turn into a whisper down the lane at work; affect your reputation and possible advancement. Sometimes it is simply better to shut up and say nothing. In my case, I betrayed my gut. I knew even an initial response saying I didn’t want to engage was indeed a way of engaging and I knew she’d welcome a chance to push my buttons. In this case, my buttons popped, but it was a conscious choice and I am content without whatever the outcome may be.
KEY CHALLENGES FACING THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY IN 2011 and BEYOND
Healthcare reform, global expansion, aging populations, patent expirations, lackluster pipelines, technology and public misperceptions are key trends that will challenge industry leaders in greater ways than ever before which is why improved skill sets and behaviors are critical moving forward. I will address three of areas and offer bullet pointed recommendations and observations from my vantage point in communications. RAMP IT UP
From employees to patients to families to caregivers, people are better informed and have greater access than ever before which means many groups–not just patients—have strong voices on a global stage and greater influence. Industry leaders must accelerate innovation and pipelines to deliver effective and more affordable medications to an aging population that is clamoring for quality of life.
COMMUNICATION MUST BE PERSONAL
If the BP scandal taught leaders in every industry nothing else, they should have learned the importance of truly understanding those they serve in an effort to communicate compassionately with different people in different sectors. Leaders must step out of the ivory tower more frequently and reach out to a wider variety of audiences including employees so they can think differently, share their customers voice and broaden their perspectives internally and externally.
FOCUS ON OUTCOMES
Many companies have already changed their business models but they need to more effectively combine areas of expertise by building powerful partnerships and relationships with patients, families, government, payers, providers and within their own business units to problem solve, focus on outcomes which will lead them in new directions where they can profit together.
Have you ever noticed that some leaders seem understand how to instill confidence in others and empower them to succeed? In this video, learn how thrive and prosper by showing others the way.
