Excellent communication skills in leadership is vitally important to success. The ability to communicate with confidence, clarity and emotional intelligence is our strongest leverage in such a competitive world. Please don’t make the mistake of buying into the idea that to be a leader you have to have people working for you. That’s one type[…]
Posts by:
Maurice Decastro
High Impact Communication Skill in Leadership
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 28, 2018
Every presentation is a conversation and an opportunity to be kind
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 22, 2018
Every presentation is a conversation and every conversation is an opportunity to be kind. Kind to ourselves and kind to those we are speaking with. Can you imagine the impact we would have on ourselves and our audience if we set kindness as our core intention? “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking[…]
Every presentation is a journey Imagine turning up for work as usual on Monday morning and before you even take your coat off your boss says, ‘ Don’t take your coat off we are going straight out’. Isn’t it likely that your first response may be, ‘Where are we going?’ closely followed by ‘why are[…]
Oprah Winfrey: Public Speaking at its Finest: I – Inspire
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking, Storytelling Jan 08, 2018
Oprah Winfrey delivered a stunning speech whilst accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Globes. It was a speech which touched the hearts and minds of her entire audience, bringing them all to their feet in unified applause. There is so much to learn from Oprah Winfrey during this extraordinary[…]
Do you have a bad habit when presenting?
Anxiety, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 28, 2017
Do you have a bad habit when presenting Whether it’s our style of presenting, the time we wake up each morning, or the fact that you bite your nails; a lot of what we do isn’t by conscious choice. It’s habit Even something as simple as conquering a sweet tooth can feel impossible. If you’re[…]
Your audience needs can help your growth as a presenter?
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 19, 2017
Do you know what your audience needs are? If public speaking and the mere thought of presenting your ideas at work fills you with dread, you’re not alone. It’s the cause of sleepless nights for many of the most intelligent, creative and talented professionals all over the world. The reason it’s such a global affliction[…]
Presenting with focus is key the key to presentation success
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills Dec 10, 2017
Presenting with focus is key the key to presentation success The prerequisite to ensuring you craft and deliver a memorable presentation to any audience is focus. At Mindful Presenter we believe that the one thing we need to focus on more is; how we want our audience to feel. We’ve been presenting to each other[…]
How clear are you on your audience expectaions? A presentation, meeting or training course that doesn’t meet audience expectations can be a very disheartening experience. We live in an extremely fast paced and busy world where most of us are overwhelmed with information. When we give up some of our extremely valuable time to listen[…]
Presenting data effectivley is a significant challenge for many presenters Every presentation contains data and our greatest challenge as presenters is to share it in a way that is clear, relevant and valuable. Everything is data Numbers, facts, ideas, insights, updates, stories and information; it’s all data. Many professionals believe that data is exclusive to[…]
Connecting is the key to high impact presenting
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 11, 2017
Connecting is the key to high impact presenting Before each presentation skills training course or public speaking coaching session we run at Mindful Presenter, we ask every client one very important question. ‘What do you want your audience to feel?’ More often than not, the typical responses we hear are: informed, engaged or interested. At[…]
Presentation brevity is a must in today’s world of ‘noise’
Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2017
Presentation brevity is critical in keeping our audiences attention and interest A couple of years ago I wrote and published an article called, ‘Most presentations are far too long – less really is more!’ The key message within that article was, ‘We need to cut out the superfluous noise’; I offered some insights into how[…]
Acres of diamonds is a powerful story for presenters
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 28, 2017
Acres of diamonds ‘Acres of Diamonds’ is a story by Russell Conwell about an African farmer who heard tales of other farmers who had made fortunes discovering diamond mines on their own land. The story explains that the farmer sold his farm and spent the rest of his life searching unsuccessfully for diamonds across Africa.[…]
Avoid These 10 Mistakes When Presenting Financial Information
Advice, Communication Skills, Presentation Skills Oct 15, 2017
Presenting financial information or any complex data can be risky business The route to success revolves around a high level of mindfulness. When you are presenting financial information, begin with this question. What precisely does my audience really need to know and why do they need to know it? Being blinded by a sea of[…]
‘Theresa May offers the ‘British dream’ but speech turns into a nightmare’ The Guardian ‘Theresa May’s keynote speech at Tory conference descended into chaotic scenes’ The Telegraph ‘It is likely to go down as one of the most painfully agonising political speeches to watch in recent history.’ Independent As a public speaking coach I believe[…]
The presentation anxiety phenomenon – where content matters
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 23, 2017
Presentation anxiety is probably the most written about issue when it comes to public speaking Storytelling, structure and style pale into insignificance compared to requests we receive to help professionals calm their presention anxiety and nerves. Despite the ubiquity of presentation anxiety, at Mindful Presenter we have noticed an interesting phenomenon. When we ask professionals[…]
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor
Leadership Sep 16, 2017
DRIVE is a series of direct interviews with Rebels : Presentation Lessons from a solicitor Shainul Kassam, who is the founder of Fortune Law a corporate and commercial law firm in London, spoke at the launch of DRIVE, a brilliantly conceived initiative to bring founders and entrepreneurs together. Most presentation skills and public speaking[…]
The Presentation Anxiety Solution – 8 Pre-mortem steps
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Presentation Tips Sep 10, 2017
Have you been looking for the presentation anxiety solution? Presentation anxiety is one of the most commonly resported sources of stress in the workplace today. The symptoms of presentation anxiety can be alarming. So much so, that some people feel anxious for weeks or months before a presentation. Many will go out of their way[…]
Louise Hay – A Powerful Message for Public Speakers
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Sep 02, 2017
Louise Hay, the American motivational author, speaker and founder of Hay House, passed away earlier this week. Loved by millions of people, she will always be known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. I’d like to recognise and honour her talent and gift as a speaker. Occaisionally the world presents us with[…]
Do you need help presenting data? – These 4 tips will help
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Aug 05, 2017
Do you need help presenting data? It doesn’t have to as difficult as some presenters make it. We’ve all been a casualty of data dumps in bad presentations. The graphs, charts and tables surrounded by tiny text where the presenter gleefully says, ‘You probably won’t be able to read this, so I’ll read it for you.’ There[…]
The Presenters Inner Critic – 3 steps to taming it
Anxiety, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Jul 29, 2017
Do you have a presenters inner critic? All presenters have one thing in common regardless of experience, status or confidence. It’s that voice in their minds that is always there offering unwanted and unhelpful thoughts. The volume of criticism and negativity gets the loudest the moment we stand to speak. It’s the presenters inner[…]
Mindful Presenter – The Story behind the Brand
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2017
The story behind the brand is often worth knowing a little about Two weeks of beautiful sunshine, extraordinary sights and warm sea is so nurturing to the mind, body and spirit. It offers a priceless opportunity to reflect on where you are, why you are there and where you are heading. Visiting the stunning[…]
Here are 3 different but highly effective public speaking tips you may wish to consider the next time you present. 1. Don’t speak from the heart One of the most common reasons people don’t think they need public speaking training or coaching is because they think that all they have to do is, ‘speak from[…]
This article shares 12 tips to help you to communicate effectively when presenting. Mindful presenting offers the pathway to the art of persuasion, influencing and human connection. It is the strategic key to communicating effectively and the route to high impact public speaking and presenting. The key to personal and professional contentment and success is[…]
Good Presentation Skills – 5 things your audience want from you
Advice, Presentating training, Presentation Skills Jul 04, 2017
Good presentation skills aren’t reserved exclusively as a competence for the annual performance review of the head of department or communication manager. It’s also not an activity isolated to the board or meeting room; it’s fundamental to the personal and professional success of each of us. Whatever you do you can be certain that[…]
8 Leadership Presentation Skills Your Team Need From You
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Jun 24, 2017
Do you have the leadership presentation skills your team need from you? Presentation skills are often referred to as a ‘soft skill’ in many organisations. At Mindful Presenter we believe that there is nothing ‘soft’ about the art of communication. We would go as far as to say that it is the most important skill[…]
3 Powerful Steps to Becoming a Better Public Speaker
Communication Skills, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jun 18, 2017
Would you like to be a better public speaker? Do you sometimes wonder what it would take for you to become a more confident presenter and public speaker? At Mindful Presenter we believe that we all have everything we need to connect with confidence, clarity and purpose each time we speak. Whether you are presenting[…]
What is Mindful Presenting and why does it matter?
Communication Skills, Mindfulness, Public Speaking Jun 11, 2017
What is mindful presenting and why does it matter? Imagine the following scene It’s Friday morning and it’s been a long and exhaustive week. but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. In a few hours you’ll be driving home away from the noise, the pressure, the stress and the sameness. It’s the[…]
How do you feel when you are asked to speak in public?
Advice, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking May 12, 2017
How do you feel when you are asked to speak in public? Public speaking skills aren’t necessarily on the top of most people’s personal and professional development list. In fact, many people will tell you quite plainly that they would rather learn to become a lion tamer than to speak in public. For some[…]
Millennials, centennials, generation Z. Call them what you will but let’s all be clear on one thing, they are the future. The future belongs to our millennials and the next generation The one thing they need more than anything else is strong, empowering and inspirational leadership. Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing[…]
Mindfulness in today’s hectic world – is it boring, impossible or critical?
Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 28, 2017
Is mindfulness in today’s hectic world, boring, impossible or critical? Mindfulness as a practice isn’t new It’s something that people have been doing for more than two and a half thousand years. It has clearly stood the test of time. Today, many of the most forward thinking companies in the world have some form of mindfulness[…]