Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

Do you feel like you're doing everything right in your career but still not being seen, promoted, or energized?

Click here if: You’re a senior leader who’s finally ready to level up, speak up, get recognised and nail that executive promotion…and you want to work with Laura Camacho to build your Executive Presence Mastery in the next 90-120 days.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

If you're a high-achiever stuck in cycles of overthinking, perfectionism, or playing it safe at work, this episode will hit home. Guest Heather Kernahan innovator, Silicon Valley executive, and author of Unstuck—shares how even the smartest professionals plateau when they avoid discomfort, hide their ideas, or wait for permission.

By the end of today’s conversation with Heather Kernahan you’ll know:

🔎How to spot the silent symptoms of being professionally stuck and what to do next
🚀 Why “moments of authority” like walking to the whiteboard can instantly shift your career trajectory
🪝 How unusual partnerships and behaving famously can skyrocket visibility—even for introverts

Listen now to learn practical, powerful strategies to get unstuck and finally move toward the career breakthrough you’ve been waiting for.

Love this definition! “A moment of authority is an unexpected action in a room that builds trust and confidence in you because you've had the courage to take it.” Heather Kernahan

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

About our guest:
Heather Kernahan is CEO of Content Bureau, a B2B content marketing agency working with innovation leaders to help achieve their business goals.
Global tech expert and business leader featured in Fast Company, Fortune, Thrive Global, BizWomen, PR Week, Ad Week, on stage at SXSW, WEF/Davos, and Fortune Global Forum and SF Business Times 100 Most Influential Women.
Author of UNSTUCKABLE: Never be stuck in business again with tools from tech innovators. Learn more at www.unstuckable.me

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

You’re not being overlooked because you’re not smart enough…
You’re being overlooked because you can’t say it in under five minutes.

If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling like you didn’t land your message—despite knowing your stuff—this episode is going to show you what’s really going on.

Because this isn’t just about over-explaining. This is about something deeper.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:
🎯 Why overexplaining is actually a decision-making problem
🪝 What senior leaders are really listening for when you speak
🔥 How to communicate in a way that positions you for senior leadership—not just expertise

Press play to learn how to turn everything you know into clear, decisive communication that drives action and gets you noticed.

If you’re still explaining instead of deciding when you speak—and it’s costing you visibility, influence, and promotions—that’s the problem. And it’s exactly what we solve in the Executive Presence Mastery System. We help you communicate with clarity and authority so people listen, understand, and act.

If you’re ready to stop over-explaining and start leading, go to the top of these show notes, click the first link, and book your discovery call. Or click here.
📚 Research & References
Cowan, N. (2001). The Magical Number 4 in Short-Term Memory
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-9
Alter, A. L., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2009). Uniting the Tribes of Fluency
https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691609346780
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2007). Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
https://heathbrothers.com/books/made-to-stick/
Harvard Business Review. How Senior Leaders Make Decisions
https://hbr.org/2019/05/how-ceos-manage-time
McKinsey & Company. The Case for Simplicity in Communication
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-need-for-speed-in-decision-making
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374533557/thinkingfastandslow

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

What if one of the best leadership mentors for executive presence… was Captain America?

Many professionals believe executive presence comes from speaking louder, dominating meetings, or showcasing expertise. But the leaders who truly stand out often do the opposite. In this episode, we break down how Captain America demonstrates the exact leadership qualities senior executives trust most—and how you can apply them in your next meeting.

By the end of this quick episode you’ll know:
🔑The four leadership qualities that instantly elevate executive presence
🎯How calm, concise communication can make people listen when you speak
🔎The counterintuitive action that actually strengthens your authority and influence

Press play to learn the surprising leadership lessons Captain America can teach you about commanding respect and standing out in the workplace. 🛡️🎙️

Episode 471: 3 Things Successful Introverts Do to Get Instant Alignment with C-suite Execs

So if today’s episode got you thinking about the kind of leadership energy you bring into the room… here’s a quick next step.

Because developing executive presence is a little like an origin story.

Before Captain America had the shield, the suit, or the Avengers… he had the values, the composure, and the clarity that made people trust him.

And the same thing is true in the workplace.

That’s why we created the Executive Presence Scorecard — a quick way to assess the leadership signals you’re sending in meetings, presentations, and high-stakes conversations.

If you want to see where your executive presence currently stands, go to the 2nd paragraph of these show notes, click that link,and take the Executive Presence Scorecard.

It only takes a few minutes… and it might be the start of your own leadership origin story.

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

What if the reason you're not getting promoted, recognized, or trusted as a senior leader has nothing to do with your performance—and everything to do with your visibility and influence? 🤔

In today’s influence economy, leadership isn’t just about performing well inside your organization—it’s about how you are perceived outside of it.

With widening trust gaps, a global talent war, and constant technological disruption, leaders who remain invisible or fail to communicate their point of view risk losing credibility, opportunities, and authority.

In this episode, Shayna Davis challenges the traditional idea of executive presence and reveals why influence, visibility, and a clear leadership perspective are the real currencies of modern leadership. 🚀

By the end of this conversation with Shayna Davis you’ll know:
🔎Why executive presence needs a major reframe—and what truly builds leadership credibility today
🪝How to develop a clear leadership point of view that positions you as a strategic voice instead of just a high performer
💯 How external visibility can help attract talent, build trust, and elevate your influence in your industry

Press play to learn how to transform your leadership identity, develop a powerful point of view, and start building influence that extends far beyond your organization. 🎧

Now maybe you’re listening to this and thinking, “I know my industry, I know my work, I’ve got the experience… but when it comes to clearly communicating my point of view or influencing a room, it doesn’t always land the way I want.”

That’s a really common challenge for high-performing technical leaders, directors, and rising executives. You have the expertise, but translating that expertise into influence, credibility, and strategic visibility is a completely different skill set.

That’s why we created the Executive Presence Scorecard Assessment — to help you quickly identify where your executive presence is already strong and where you may need to strengthen things like messaging, perception, and leadership identity.

If you want to see exactly where you stand, head to the 2nd paragraph of these show notes, click the first link, and take the Executive Presence Scorecard Assessment. It’s a fast way to get clarity on what’s working and what might be holding your influence back.

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

About our guest:
As the award-winning host of The Influence Economy™ Podcast, ranked in the top 3% worldwide, and an advisor to leaders at L’Oréal, IBM, and Nationwide, Shayna Davis is passionate about redefining executive presence as executive influence.
She believes presence is no longer just about how leaders show up in the room—it’s about how they are perceived in the outside world. Her approach to executive presence centers on helping decision-makers and tech founders elevate their external visibility and strategic impact, not just for internal professional advancement, but to inspire change across industries and communities.
Having been featured in more than 500 media outlets, Shayna Davis brings practical, actionable guidance to leaders eager to make their voices heard in high-stakes environments.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

If you feel like you have to explain everything…to prove you’re doing a good job…
That’s exactly why executives aren’t seeing you as one.

If you’ve ever felt like you need to prove your value or the value of your recommendation by sharing more detail, only to be interrupted, ignored, or left out of key decisions… this episode breaks down exactly why that’s happening—and how it’s holding you back from being seen as a strategic leader.

By the end of today’s episode you’ll know:
😩The hidden communication mistake that makes you sound less strategic (even when you’re highly capable)
🎯The 3-part Executive Communication Operating System top leaders use to influence decisions
🧲Ways to shift from “information overload” to clear, confident recommendations that executives trust

Press play to learn how to instantly elevate your executive presence by saying less—and influencing more.

Your job is not to transfer knowledge. Your job… is to drive decisions.

But not being seen at the level you know you’re capable of… This is exactly the gap we help leaders close.

We help you in the Executive Presence Mastery System…

So you stop communicating like a subject matter expert…And start showing up like a strategic leader. So if you’re ready to make that shift…

Go to the link in the first paragraph of these show notes to book a call with Laura Camacho. Or book that call here.

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.