Are You Presenting a Leadership Persona?

The purpose of most presentations is to persuade the audience to take some action. That makes the presenter a leader: someone influencing others for the positive benefits of the organization. Using this 360-degree leadership definition, everyone has the potential to be a leader. The question is: are you presenting a Leadership persona? To have maximum impact, a presenter needs to go beyond the substance, structure and style of the presentation and manage the way in which he/she presents him/herself.

Most decisions are not made purely based on facts; indeed, emotions play an important role, sometimes even a greater role than the facts themselves. It's not uncommon to hear about a situation in which the buyer admits to buying from X vs. Y because he/she "felt" more comfortable with the former. The "buying" decision therefore relies to a great extent on the extent to which the presenter manages the leadership persona.

For senior managers with extensive experience in their jobs this isn't an issue; but for newly promoted, emerging leaders who want to command respect, demonstrate authority, rally the troops and build the team, presenting one's leadership persona is critical. It's not just what you say, but how you say it that determines outcome. For instance, overwhelming an audience with all the data you reviewed doesn't impress an audience. Leaders who synthesize it down to 2 key points do, Recently, Jack and Suzy Welch (BusinessWeek) focused on how the new Administration broke three cardinal rules of leadership. In an effort to mobilize the public to address the current financial situation, he noted that:

1. When a business leader shows uncertainty and indecision, he/she undercuts his/her ability to persuade. Issues often are complex and can be overwhelming – but letting the audience know undermines the extent to which they can generate confidence for following your lead.
2. There's always a risk of failure, but talking about it can undermine the ability to muster the audience's enthusiasm. Contrast Vice President Biden's comment that the government plan has a 30% chance of Failure to Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III's response to Katie Curic's question as to whether he was afraid of not making it, "No I knew I could do it." Emerging leaders should consider working with an executive coach to build on your strengths and compensate for weaknesses. The payoff is enormous: presenting oneself as a top-notch leader.

This Month's Presentation Tips:

Every time you plan to present, review these key questions – because situations change!

• Goal: To persuade the audience to act NOW, create some urgency. This doesn't have to be a discount; it can be extra value that you offer and competitors won't get.
• Audience Readiness: Schedule the meeting at a time of day when you are at your peak, so you are aware of nuances, and can think fast to mobilize your creativity.
• Context: Don’t repeat at the beginning of a presentation lots of facts they already know, it destroys the energy and enthusiasm to hear your new message.
• Presentation: To enable the audience to share the key information with other decision-makers, make sure to phrase things so they are concise, succinct and memorable.
• Speaker: If you know your audience’s needs, make sure your style, language and actions resonate with them. For instance, risk-takers want to hear about opportunities; people who are risk-averse want to hear how you are mitigating potential damages.