Many talented, driven, smart executives give great presentations to their peers, direct reports, and colleagues in their field. Then, when it comes time to present to senior leaders at their organization, they freeze up, they ramble, they lose confidence. There’s something about going up the chain of command that make these presenters become unglued.
I have several ideas as to why this happens, and it’s a topic I discuss with my performance coaching clients often.
If you’re looking for some strategies to help you be a better presenter to senior executives, take a look at this article in the Harvard Business Review by presentation coach and author Nancy Duarte. (Duarte is most well-known for creating the presentation for Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth.”)
Duarte’s strategies are essential ones. I especially like the last one: Rehearse. Rehearsals and over-the-top preparation are key if you want to succeed in high-stress environments.
In some future blog posts, I’ll be discussing what’s missing from Duarte’s list: the emotional and mental preparation needed to keep your composure so you can be your best self in high-stakes environments. That inner preparation is every bit as crucial as the presentation itself.
