1. Whentopcorporateexecutivespresenttotheirboardsthisquarter,whatismoreimportantthanthenumbers,thedata,the
analysisoreventhestrategies?
“Themostcriticalprioritytodayissettingtherighttone-thatsubtleintegrationofstyleandsubstancewhichestablishes
acommandingleadershippresence,acompellingleadershipvisionandadynamicsenseofurgency,”saysAnettD.Grant,
PresidentofExecutiveSpeaking,Inc.,aglobalspeakingcoachingcompanyfoundedin1979.
TTohelpestablishtherighttone,Grantadvisesexecutivestothinkbeyondthewords,thedataandthechartsandthink
moreintermsofwhatrolefourkeycommunicationcomponentsplay:theroleofstoryline,theroleofPowerPoints,the
roleofgesturesandtheroleofvoice.
AsShakespeareprofessedthatalltheworld’sastageandthatonemaninhistimeplaysmanyparts,Grantbelieves
leaderscanlearntosettherighttonebyapplyingthisconceptofrolestothekeycomponentsoftheircommunication.
Therolethestorylineplaysistoestablishthethinkingatthestrategiclevel.
WhenWhenexecutivespresentchartafterchartofdiconnecteddata,theydemonstratefragmentedthinking.“Executives
withoutastrongstorylineprojecttheimageofareactorvs.anactor,”saysGrant.
Whenexecutivesestablishthestoryline,emphasizingthelinkagesbetweenfacts,theydemonstratethattheyhavea
coherentapproach,thepiecesittogether,thewholeisgreaterthantheparts,theyhaveastrategy,andtheyareaheadof
thecurve.
TheroleyourPowerPointsplayisfocus.
WhenexecutivespresentPowerPointsclutteredwithdata,theyprojectanimageofconfusion.“Whatarethecritical
indicaindicatorsinthatwallpaperofnumbers?Whatratiosreallymatter?Theboardcaneasilyquestiontheexecutive’sability
toprioritize,”saysGrant.
Therolegesturesplayistodemonstratepower.
Whenexecutivesgestureunconsciously,movingtheirhandsanywhere,anytime,anyway,theyprojectanimagethatis
weak.“Whengesturesareloppy,unweightedanduncoordinated,”saysGrant,“theyshowlackofengagementandraise
concernsabouttheexecutive’sabilitytohandlethepressureandbeincontrol.”
Whenexecutivesgesturewithstrong,smoothmovements,usingtheirhandstocreateimagesofconcepts,they
communicacommunicatethattheyareincommand,readytofaceanychallenge.“Poweristhefeelingthatcomesfromthestrengthof
theexecutive’smovement,”saysGrant.
Therolevoiceplaysistodemonstrateconviction.
Whenexecutivesspeakinamonotonevoice,theyprojectanimagethatislatandtwo-dimensional.Theydo
demonstratecalmness,whichmaybegreatifthecompany’splatformistrulyburning.Butinmostsituationstheywillbe
perceivedasaloofanddull.
WhenWhenexecutivesspeakinarich,resonantvoicetheyprojectanimageofconidence,composureandpassion.“Astrong
relaxedvoiceestablishesacommandingleadershippresence,”saysGrant.
Byrecognizingtheseroles,executivescansettherighttoneandfacetheirrealleadershipchallenge,orasShakespeare
says,“Tobeornottobe.”