Business presentations have never been more common or more challenging. Every day, millions of professionals stand before colleagues and clients to share ideas, insights, and recommendations. Every day, many of them wrestle with the same uncomfortable truth: You can’t simply turn up and read your slides anymore That era is over. Audiences expect more,[…]
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Leadership category
Please Make Me Feel Something: The New Imperative in Business Presenting
General, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 04, 2018
4 Keys to Successful Company Summits or Conferences
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Oct 21, 2018
Company summits and leadership conferences present an invaluable platform to inspire, enthuse and rally the troops. Whether you’re celebrating success or need that extra lift to meet your business targets, the vital ingredient required for success is communication. The courageous leaders understand that it’s not an expense, it’s a visionary investment. Most shy away[…]
Theresa May: “It is something I will never agree to…” 2 Powerful Public Speaking Lessons from Theresa May
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 22, 2018
Theresa May demonstrated the power of clarity to the EU following the recent summit in Salzburg. The uncertainty of Brexit has left many of us in the UK dismayed, disillusioned and divided. Politicians and punters everywehere are telling us what to think about Brexit. That’s why as a public speaking coach I found Theresa May’s[…]
7 lessons from Barack Obama that will make you a better presenter
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips, Public Speaking Sep 16, 2018
Former President Barack Obama is noted for his public speaking excellence. His speeches have changed the way countless people communicate. He is regarded as one of the worlds most gifted and powerful orators today. His speech to more than a thousand students at the University of Illinois-Urbana was charged with public speaking lessons for all[…]
Leadership in Presentation Skills: The Missing Link in Modern Organisations
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Aug 28, 2018
The need for strong leadership in presentation skills has never been more urgent. Every day, across every industry, professionals are presenting in meetings, pitches, conference calls, town halls, networking events, and high-stakes updates. Outside of those formal moments, almost every conversation is, in truth, a presentation. In business today, we are constantly trying to[…]
The Zest Factor: The Energy That Separates Ordinary Presenters from Unforgettable Ones
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Aug 05, 2018
Many business presentations today leave audiences feeling exactly the way many people feel when they wake up on a grey Monday morning: tired, vacant, and already depleted. You sit through slide after slide, data point after data point, and walk back to your desk or your car not energised, but groggy. It’s astonishing how rarely[…]
Has Business Presenting Really Changed? The Surprising Truth
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 24, 2018
We live in an age defined by relentless transformation. In just three decades, we’ve witnessed breakthroughs that once belonged to science fiction — the rise of the internet, Wi‑Fi, email, MRI technology, DNA testing, non‑invasive surgery, GPS, ATMs, wind turbines, biofuels, and social platforms that have rewritten how we communicate and connect. And even[…]
Stop Blending In: The New Rules for Presenting in a Noisy World
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Presentation Tips Jun 10, 2018
Think back to the last business presentation you sat through. Not the exceptional one, the other one. The one where the speaker drifted from slide to slide, reciting information that had little relevance to you, offering no spark, no connection, no sense that they understood or cared about the people in the room. You[…]
The Silent Crisis in Business Meetings: Why Presenting Has Become Painful — and How to Bring It Back to Life
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills May 22, 2018
For decades, business meetings have harboured a quiet, persistent issue: presentations that sap energy rather than inspire it. It’s a habit so well-known that many professionals no longer question it. They simply endure it. They sit politely, nod occasionally, and wait for the moment they can return to work that truly matters. This isn’t[…]
The First Commandment of Mindful Presenting: Respect Your Audience
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 08, 2018
Every presenter has a responsibility far beyond just the slides they create or the words they speak. The moment you step up to address a room, you are holding the most valuable resource your audience possesses: their time. In a world that moves forward relentlessly, where attention is fleeting and demands are endless, time[…]
Questions: How NOT to answer them like a politician
Advice, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 01, 2018
Questions are the Achilles heel of the inexperienced, unprepared and nervous presenter. At least, that’s what most people would assume. Whilst it’s true, it’s not isolated to those groups. In fact, even seasoned public speakers and presenters find the moment they are called on to answer questions the most challenging. Even politicians. After all, we[…]
6 powerful principles of persuasion in presenting
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Mar 25, 2018
If you are presenting or speaking in public in any form, it’s highly likely that persuasion is high on your agenda. Whatever your position and role is in the workplace today, you can be sure that you will be required to persuade others to understand your perspective and agree with you. Whether you are pitching[…]
Stephen Hawking – The A to Z of Mindful Presenting: O – Original
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 17, 2018
Stephen Hawking is a name that will be remembered for an extraordinarily long time to come. A British cosmologist and physicist loved, admired and respected all over the world for his notable scientific work was also a brilliant public speaker. World class public speaking is normally associated with political leaders or motivational speakers Last week[…]
Donald Trump’s State of the Union: Public speaking progress?
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Feb 03, 2018
Donald Trump the 45th President of the United States gave his first State of the Union Address this week. As a public speaking coach with far more of a passion for what we can all learn from the rhetoric of world leaders than their politics I find myself called to tune into them. I believe[…]
What You Reveal About Your Leadership Every Time You Speak
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 28, 2018
Leadership isn’t something you turn on when you enter a meeting room or when someone gives you a title. Instead, it is revealed consistently, quietly, and often unintentionally through the way you communicate. Every conversation shows something about who you are, what you value, and how you influence the world around you. In a[…]
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[…]
The Secret to Confident Presenting: Meet Your Audience’s Human Needs
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Dec 19, 2017
If public speaking or even the thought of presenting your ideas at work fills you with dread, you are not alone. Some of the most intelligent, creative, and capable professionals lose sleep over presentations. We feel exposed when we present. Even when we know our topic, our minds often flood with paralysing what-ifs, but[…]
‘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[…]
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[…]
Honouring Louise Hay: The Voice Who Taught the World How to Heal
Communication Skills, Leadership, Public Speaking Sep 02, 2017
A Life That Shifted the Inner World of Millions Louise Hay, the American author, speaker, and founder of Hay House, passed away earlier this week at the age of 90. Loved by millions, she will always be remembered as one of the pioneers of the modern self-help movement, a woman whose work helped people[…]
The Story Behind Mindful Presenter
Anxiety, Communication Skills, Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jul 22, 2017
How a single moment exposed a global issue and ignited a movement. A Journey Begins in the Sun Two weeks in the Cypriot sun have a way of softening the noise of life. Warm sea, quiet mornings, and the kind of stillness that lets your mind wander to places you’ve been too busy to[…]
Do You Have the Leadership Presentation Skills Your Team Truly Needs?
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills Jun 24, 2017
For years, organisations have dismissed presentation skills as a “soft skill.” At Mindful Presenter, we believe that the label is not only misleading but also dangerous. There is nothing soft about communication; it is the hardest, most consequential skill a leader uses every single day. Whether you look to Maslow’s hierarchy or Tony Robbins’[…]
Article 50: How Memorable Was Theresa May’s Speech on a Historic Day?
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Apr 01, 2017
There are moments in public life when the words spoken become part of the historical record. The triggering of Article 50 was one of those moments. A year earlier, most people in the UK had never heard of Article 50. Yet when the Prime Minister formally announced the Government’s decision to invoke it, the country[…]
8 examples of very influential and powerful public speakers
Communication Skills, Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Mar 08, 2017
I’d like to share 8 examples of some of the worlds most influential and powerful public speakers. Each of them lead the way in showing us how to speak with power, passion and grace. They have also been instrumental in changing the world, each in their own unique way. Michelle Obama I wrote a previous[…]
Michelle Obama’s Final Speech Analysis: A Masterclass in Hope, Courage and Public Speaking
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 07, 2017
Michelle Obama and her husband Barack Obama have long been two of my favourite public speakers. Few people consistently combine passion, eloquence, and grace. Whenever either of them steps up to a podium, you can be sure you’ll witness clarity, conviction, and humanity in equal measure. Her concluding speech as First Lady was no exception[…]
Why I Disagree with Simon Sinek About Millennials — With Respect
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Jan 04, 2017
My son knows my passion for public speaking, so when he pointed me toward a Simon Sinek video, I was excited. I admire Sinek. I’ve learned a great deal from him, but fifteen minutes in, I felt something I didn’t expect: discomfort. Not because he’s wrong about everything, but because his conclusions about millennials felt[…]
Is Vulnerability in Public Speaking Something We Should Fear?
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Nov 18, 2016
The brilliant TED Talk, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’ by Brené Brown, offers a simple but profound idea: we are wired for connection and connection requires vulnerability. It challenges the increasingly popular belief that the path to success lies in control, certainty and predictability. Instead, it suggests that the real key to meaningful human connection is[…]
Leadership is probably one of the most written-about skills in business today. For decades, the mantra has been the same: faster, better, cheaper, smarter. However, in the world we now inhabit, one defined by constant change, competing priorities, and a workforce yearning for belonging, purpose, connection, and well-being, that mantra is becoming increasingly difficult to[…]
The Professionals Guide to Public Speaking & Presenting
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 10, 2016
A new way to speak, connect and inspire in today’s workplace Presenting has become a daily ritual in modern business, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood skills in the workplace. Every day, across every industry, talented professionals step in front of colleagues and clients armed with slides, scripts, and good intentions… but[…]
The Characteristics of Authentic Public Speakers and Presenters
Leadership, Mindfulness, Presentation Skills, Public Speaking Sep 01, 2016
Authenticity is a word we hear everywhere, in leadership, communication, and culture, yet most people struggle to define what it truly means. Audiences today are more perceptive than ever; they can sense when a speaker is merely performing, hiding, or trying too hard. Conversely, they can also recognise when someone is authentically showing up. So,[…]
