executive presence Tag

We all shy away from initiating workplace conversations that could easily escalate into conflict. You never know how the person will react to what they may perceive as unfair criticism or a threat to their career. They could blame you for their difficulties. Maybe they’ll...


LinkedIn
  • Upload a professional headshot photo to give people a real sense of who they are connecting with in a way that contributes to the “know, like, and trust” factor.
  • Include a brief, well-crafted brand bio that describes who you are, what makes you unique, what you are passionate about as a professional, and what motivates your career path.
  • Share a bit about your personal interests and activities too – including how you give back to your community – so people will get a feeling for what makes you tick beyond the workplace.
  • Build Your Brand Community: After each networking introduction, send a personalized/customized email message via LinkedIn to invite those you met to join your LinkedIn group.
  • Tip: Don’t send the default LinkedIn template or


Powerful Woman For more than 30 years I’ve coached and mentored women who are top-caliber Fortune 500 executives and high-level entrepreneurs. Meanwhile during that whole time I was either a Fortune 100 senior executive or the founding CEO of my own successful consulting firm. Many things have changed for women in the workplace over the years, but as the saying goes “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” What I’m referring to here is the sad fact that, even in this advanced era of the 21st century, negative stereotypes about women in executive positions stubbornly persist.

The one that most often comes to mind is that if you are a woman and you are powerful within the business community then it must mean that you are also self-centered and egocentric.

So let me set the record straight. The most successful women leaders I know are actually just the opposite, because they derive their power from an ability to make the women and men around them more successful and powerful. Women who are the strongest executives, in other words, didn’t get there by being


Faster Promotions Believe it or not, the biggest obstacle to success and faster promotions for most people is not fierce competitors or a tough economy. Granted, those are major factors. But the truth is that it’s oftentimes ourselves who are standing in the way of our own career progress.

I experienced it early in my career when I got passed over for my first gigantic promotion. Luckily I became aware of the issue, overcame it, and was able to go on to enjoy great success as a senior executive with a Fortune 100 company before launching my own successful entrepreneurial business.

For decades I’ve observed that the biggest roadblocks to success and the most commonly experienced pitfalls can be traced back to one’s on self-image or mindset.

  • That’s why I often share a 360-degree assessment tool with my clients when they are trying to figure out how to design and promote a brand or professional image. Most are pleasantly surprised to learn how differently they are perceived by trusted others like family members, friends, and colleagues when compared to how they critically assess themselves.
  • Usually they find out that others see them as a lot