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Leaders tell me all the time that “speaking up and voicing the truth that others hesitate to say” is the hardest thing to do. They’re not struggling with honesty. They’re struggling with risk management, emotion management, and power dynamics all at once. This is where gravitas is really tested. Not in a keynote, not in a town hall, but in that one quiet conversation where you tell someone above you that they are wrong, off, or becoming part of the problem.

What if you’ve been rewarding the wrong things all year? Every leader talks about goals, but it’s what you reward that tells your team who you really are. When you praise speed, people rush. When you praise heroics, people wait for emergencies. When you praise curiosity, people start solving deeper problems. Learn how to make those incentives work for you, not against your culture. Read today’s Speak by Design Tip Sheet: “Incentivizing Behaviors: The Hidden Power of M

“I just don’t want this meeting to blow up,” a senior executive once told me. Most leaders try to avoid conflict. The great ones learn to expect it, and even invite it. Avoiding discomfort might feel safe but it costs you credibility, creativity, and connection. In this blog post, we explore how to reframe those tense moments as important conversations that move relationships and results forward.

The best leaders don’t say “I’m sorry” as often as you think. Learn when an apology strengthens trust, and when it quietly undermines your authority. This is the foundation of increasing conflict tolerance: staying steady when tension rises instead of rushing to smooth it over.

Few leaders balance authority and approachability as naturally as Lara Hodgson. Her communication style blends energy, structure, and authenticity, skills every speaker can master. This week, we’re featuring Lara Hodgson in our Best Public Speakers series. See what makes her presence so memorable.

It only takes senior leaders seconds to decide whether your message matters. Learn the 90-second strategy that gets their attention - and their approval - fast.

Some leaders change companies. Others change how we think about people. Laszlo Bock, former Google CHRO and now Co-Founder of Gretel.ai, is redefining what it means to lead with both innovation and humanity.

Build a Voice You Actually Like: The 7-Minute Vocal Warm-Up That Changes Everything. In just minutes a day, posture, breath, resonance, articulation, and confidence drills can transform your tone, clarity, and authority—helping you show up with more control, confidence, and presence.

We included Larry Fink on our Best Speakers list because he is one of the most powerful and influential leaders in the world. His journey, from a career-defining loss to building the world’s largest asset management firm, is a masterclass in resilience and vision.

What are the Communications Skills Every Professional should MASTER for Career Growth? To stand out, you must learn to communicate in a way that inspires action, sparks emotion, and creates lasting impact. Creativity is the answer.

In high-stakes environments, good communication is no longer enough. People want to feel something. They want to know change is happening, and that they’re part of it. This is where Creative Communications come in. Leaders who rely on updates, dashboards ...

Facilitator or Expert: Great communicators know when to lead with expertise and when to guide as a facilitator. Shifting between these roles—based on the room’s needs—builds credibility, trust, and engagement. The key is being intentional: sometimes your value is what you know, and other times it’s how you help others think.

Developing a Commanding Presence: A senior presence starts with sound. By resetting your mindset, tuning your voice, and practicing deliberate delivery, you can project the authority and steadiness that clients expect from a partner. With consistent drills and body language cues, your voice begins communicating confidence and judgment before your slides ever do.

How to Communicate Ownership Without Sounding Aggressive: Communicating ownership without sounding aggressive is about projecting clarity, confidence, and leadership—without dominating the conversation. Instead of reacting defensively to feedback, top consultants like Marty use it as fuel for growth, shifting their mindset and presence in meetings. By embracing structure, leading with purpose, and showing steady direction, they earn respect and trust without raising their vo

Leadership Presence Is Contagious: Your tone sets the emotional tone for your entire team, whether it's confidence, calm, or stress. Teams often mirror the energy and presence their leaders project, making tone a powerful teaching tool. When your tone reflects focus and belief, it inspires the same in others.

Hidden Cost of Poor Leadership Tone: A poor leadership tone silently erodes trust, engagement, and performance even when the message itself is correct. When tone communicates frustration, disinterest, or sarcasm, teams feel unsafe and uncertain, leading to misalignment and disengagement. The real cost isn’t just emotional, it’s in lost influence, clarity, and momentum.

Executive communication shapes how teams think, act, and perform. When leaders communicate with clarity, conviction, and consistency, they create alignment and momentum. The tone they set becomes a model for focus, accountability, and high performance across the organization.

Tone Culture: Creates the unspoken culture of a team—it shapes how messages are received and how people feel about their work. Even well-chosen words can lose impact if delivered with the wrong tone. Leaders who align their words with intentional delivery foster a culture of clarity, trust, and engagement.

Why Tone Makes or Breaks Trust: Even the right message can fall flat when tone doesn't match intent. People don’t just hear your words—they feel your tone, and that emotional signal shapes trust. To lead effectively, your tone must reflect confidence, clarity, and care—because trust is built not just on what you say, but how you say it.

Speak Like a Leader: The way leaders communicate sets the tone for the entire organization. Habits like speaking with clarity, pausing with purpose, and emphasizing key messages help build trust and authority. When leaders are intentional with their tone, they elevate their impact and influence from the top.