Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

By Laura Camacho

🏆 Ranked #1 Business Communication Podcast by Million Podcasts

Do you often feel sidelined in discussions, wanting to speak up and have more influence?

Ever experience that you say something in a ... more

4.9

8787 ratings

FAQs about Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style:

How many episodes does Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style have?

The podcast currently has 625 episodes available.

Best of Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 616: Why THIS New Status Signal Gives Leaders the Executive Presence Advantage
Know Your Own Executive Presence Strengths & Opportunities: 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. What if the most powerful executive status signal today isn't your title, your expertise, or even your confidence—but your ability to make everyone else think better? As hybrid work reshapes organizations and AI makes expertise easier to imitate, the traditional signals of leadership are fading. If you want greater influence, stronger executive presence, and more opportunities to lead, the question is no longer what do you know? It's how do you elevate the thinking of the people around you? In this episode, Laura Camacho shares a real coaching story that reveals why one unexpected perspective transformed a contributor into the person everyone instinctively followed. By the end of this episode you’ll know: 💰The new leadership status signal that earns executive influence without relying on title or authority. 3️⃣The three behaviors executives consistently notice in leaders with exceptional executive presence. 🧲How to contribute in meetings so your ideas shape decisions, elevate conversations, and position you as the leader people naturally trust. Press play to learn the modern status signal that quietly transforms brilliant contributors into influential executive leaders. Access the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment here. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. The Speak Up Podcast helps high-performing professionals develop executive presence through strategic communication, executive confidence, and leadership influence. Each episode provides practical strategies to help you speak up in meetings, communicate with senior leaders, present ideas with clarity, build executive visibility, strengthen your leadership presence, influence without authority, stop overexplaining, answer difficult questions with confidence, and become a trusted executive leader. Whether you're preparing for your next Vice President promotion or looking to communicate with greater credibility and gravitas, you'll learn actionable executive communication skills that accelerate career growth. Top 15 topics covered in this episode:Executive presence Executive communication skills Executive influence Leadership presence Influence without authorityLeadership communication.Speaking up in meetingsCareer advancementLeadership developmentExecutive coaching Strategic thinking Leading without authority High-performing introvertsMeeting leadershipProfessional credibility
August 21, 202610min
Number 2: 615: Why Most Leaders Lack Executive Presence and Completely Misread the People Around Them
Know Your Own Executive Presence Strengths & Opportunities: 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. What if the biggest advantage in your next executive meeting isn't what you say—but what you notice? Most leaders focus so much on delivering the perfect message that they miss the valuable information happening all around them. In this fascinating conversation, Laura Camacho sits down with former undercover intelligence operative Don Weber to explore how elite observation skills, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness can help leaders communicate more effectively, build trust, and navigate high-pressure situations with confidence. Drawing on years of experience working in dangerous international intelligence operations and coaching Fortune 500 executives, Don shares practical lessons that translate directly from covert operations to the corporate boardroom. By the end of Laura’ conversation with Don Weber you’ll know: 🔥How intelligence professionals read body language, voice patterns, and behavioral changes to better understand people in high-stakes conversations 🔑Practical strategies for building executive presence through observation, listening, emotional self-awareness, and stronger interpersonal judgment 🔎Insights into navigating office politics, earning trust, working across cultures, and positioning yourself for greater leadership opportunities Press play to discover how sharpening your observation skills can dramatically improve your executive presence, influence, and leadership effectiveness in every high-stakes conversation. Access the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment here. About our guest: Don Weber, who spent 15+ years gathering intelligence across 90+ countries, including time undercover in Antwerp's diamond trade and within organized crime networks. In intelligence work, Don learned that authority comes from composure under pressure. Leaders who stayed calm, spoke with clarity, and understood subtle behavioral signals were the ones people trusted. Today he helps Fortune 500 CEOs and EU diplomats strengthen executive presence, communicate with precision, and build influence without overcompensating. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. The Speak Up Podcast helps high-performing professionals develop executive presence through strategic communication, executive confidence, and leadership influence. Each episode provides practical strategies to help you speak up in meetings, communicate with senior leaders, present ideas with clarity, build executive visibility, strengthen your leadership presence, influence without authority, stop overexplaining, answer difficult questions with confidence, and become a trusted executive leader. Whether you're preparing for your next Vice President promotion or looking to communicate with greater credibility and gravitas, you'll learn actionable executive communication skills that accelerate career growth. Topics covered in this episode: Executive presence and leadership communication Intelligence techniques applied to corporate leadership Reading body language and nonverbal communication Active listening and executive listening skills How to read the room during meetings Building trust through observation and emotional intelligence Recognizing confidence versus competence Communication under pressure Managing high-stakes presentations and board meetings Executive influence through situational awareness Office politics, mentors, and organizational influence Protecting your ideas and professional reputation Leadership self-awareness and emotional regulation Cross-cultural communication in global organizations Leadership differences between U.S., European, and Japanese business cultures Building executive gravitas and presence Preparing for difficult executive conversations Stakeholder management and influencing without authority Developing observational skills for better leadership decisions
August 19, 202627min
Number 3: 622: To Rescue Your Executive Presence from the Dumpster Fire Stop Doing These 5 Things (from the 2026 Executive Influence Index)
Know Your Own Executive Presence Strengths & Opportunities: 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. What if the behaviors you think make you look hardworking, prepared, and smart are actually making you look less executive? It happens more often than you think. High performers are often rewarded for knowing more, doing more, explaining more, and working harder. But as you move into senior leadership, those same habits can start working against you. Executive influence isn't about producing the most output—it’s about knowing what matters, communicating it clearly, and creating better thinking and decisions around you. In this episode of Speak Up, Dr. Laura Camacho reveals seven things you can stop doing at work to strengthen your executive presence and make the transition from expert to interpreter, advisor, and executive. By the end of this episode you’ll know how to: 🏆Communicate with greater authority by saying less, prioritizing what matters, and eliminating unnecessary information 🏹Strengthen your influence by asking sharper questions, creating productive friction, and focusing less on proving you’re the smartest person in the room 🪝Increase your executive presence by replacing busyness, overwork, and boring communication with better judgment, clarity, and memorable ideas Play the episode to discover what you can stop doing this week to create more influence, clearer decisions, and stronger executive presence—without simply working harder. If you know you’re ready for the next level in your career—but you’re not sure whether your executive presence is helping you get there or quietly holding you back—start with the Executive Presence Scorecard. This quick self-assessment will help you pinpoint where you’re already showing up as a confident, credible leader and where there may be gaps in how you communicate, influence, and lead. Go to the show notes, click the link for the Executive Presence Scorecard, and take the assessment today. Your next level of leadership starts with knowing exactly where you stand. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. The Speak Up Podcast helps high-performing professionals develop executive presence through strategic communication, executive confidence, and leadership influence. Each episode provides practical strategies to help you speak up in meetings, communicate with senior leaders, present ideas with clarity, build executive visibility, strengthen your leadership presence, influence without authority, stop overexplaining, answer difficult questions with confidence, and become a trusted executive leader. Whether you're preparing for your next Vice President promotion or looking to communicate with greater credibility and gravitas, you'll learn actionable executive communication skills that accelerate career growth. Topics covered in this episode: How to strengthen executive presence by communicating less Why overexplaining can weaken your executive influence How senior leaders prioritize information for better decision-making Asking strategic questions instead of always having the answer How productive disagreement builds leadership influence Using storytelling to make executive communication more memorable Moving from subject-matter expert to trusted executive advisor Common high-performer habits that hurt executive presence
September 04, 202616min
Number 4: 625: Why Exceptional Work Without Executive Presence Won’t Earn You More Than the Average 2027 Merit Raise
Know Your Own Executive Presence Strengths & Opportunities: 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. Are you waiting until your performance review to make the case for a bigger 2027 raise? By then, the decision may already be taking shape. With merit raises making a comeback and average performance-based increases expected to hover around 3.5%, organizations have more reason to differentiate between their highest-value leaders and everyone else. For directors, VPs, and executive-track leaders, getting more isn't simply about working harder or compiling a longer list of accomplishments. It's about making your strategic value unmistakably clear to the people making compensation decisions. By the end of this episode, you'll know how to: 🎯Shift from reporting activity to communicating enterprise-level impact that senior executives understand and remember. 🧩Build a simple impact portfolio and compensation narrative that gives your manager compelling evidence to advocate for you. 🧲Use your 1:1s and relationships across the organization to calibrate your value, strengthen your executive reputation, and build advocates before compensation decisions are made. Play the episode now to learn the four moves you can start making today to position yourself for more than the average 2027 merit raise—and make your strategic value impossible to overlook. Doing exceptional work and being perceived as an exceptionally valuable executive are not always the same thing. Access the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment here. To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning. The Speak Up Podcast helps high-performing professionals develop executive presence through strategic communication, executive confidence, and leadership influence. Each episode provides practical strategies to help you speak up in meetings, communicate with senior leaders, present ideas with clarity, build executive visibility, strengthen your leadership presence, influence without authority, stop overexplaining, answer difficult questions with confidence, and become a trusted executive leader. Whether you're preparing for your next Vice President promotion or looking to communicate with greater credibility and gravitas, you'll learn actionable executive communication skills that accelerate career growth. Topics covered in this episode:2027 merit raise and salary increase projectionsHow to get more than the average 3.5% merit raiseHow to ask for a bigger raise at workSalary negotiation strategies for high performersHow to document your accomplishments and business impactHow executive presence affects compensation and career advancementHow to position yourself for a higher performance ratingWhat to do before annual performance and compensation reviewsHow to advocate for your value with your managerStrategies to increase your salary without changing jobs
September 11, 202614min
Number 5: 624: Stop Fighting Imposter Syndrome When It Can Multiply Your Executive Presence and Get You Promoted
Know Your Own Executive Presence Strengths & Opportunities: 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. What if the self-doubt you’ve been trying to eliminate is actually one of your greatest advantages in high-stakes meetings? When you’re presenting to the C-suite, defending a proposal, or answering an unexpected question, it’s easy to become consumed by how you’re being perceived. But Avi Liran offers a different approach: stop trying to perform confidence and start focusing on contribution, preparation, curiosity, and trust. In this episode, you’ll discover how to reframe imposter syndrome, prepare for challenging questions, and stay grounded when the stakes—and your nerves—are high. By the end of Laura’s conversation with the delightful Avi Liran you’ll know how to: 🎉Turn imposter syndrome into something productive instead of letting it undermine your confidence 🧲Handle difficult C-suite questions with curiosity, humility, and the powerful phrase you can rinse and repeat to build rapport with anyone 🧩Build the mindset that helps you stay grounded when presentations, meetings, and workplace relationships don’t go as planned Play the episode to learn how to transform self-doubt, tough questions, and high-pressure leadership moments into opportunities to build trust, credibility, and confidence. Access the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment here. 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: Avi Liran (CSP) is Global Chief Delighting Officer and an energetic motivational speaker who goes above and beyond to deliver tangible results to organizations. As the embodiment of Contagious Positivity, he’s celebrated for leading businesses toward profitability with a smile. Avi’s approach is a masterclass in how to reshape the very core of a business with delightful mindsets, particularly through joy and appreciation in the workplace. This transformation creates the contagious positivity that leads to significant improvements in performance, employee well-being, and customer satisfaction. Having helped many Fortune 500 companies achieve profound transformations, Avi’s philosophy is simple: delight your people, and they will delight your customers. This contagious wave of positivity is the secret ingredient to a thriving business environment, one that Avi has successfully instilled in organizations worldwide. Through his engaging, heartfelt, and dynamic speaking style, Avi ignites long-lasting change, one keynote, one workshop at a time. With Avi, you don’t just gain a motivational speaker; you gain a transformational leader and partner in building a business that champions employee and customer delight as the pathway to greater profits and sustained growth. Engage Avi and spark Contagious Positivity in your organization today. Develop your executive presence through strategic communication, executive confidence, and leadership influence. Each episode provides practical strategies to help you speak up in meetings, communicate with senior leaders, present ideas with clarity, build executive visibility, strengthen your leadership presence, influence without authority, stop overexplaining, answer difficult questions with confidence, and become a trusted executive leader. Whether you're preparing for your next Vice President promotion or looking to communicate with greater credibility and gravitas, you'll learn actionable executive communication skills that accelerate career growth. Topics covered in this episode:Executive presence and influence in high-stakes leadership situationsBuilding trust through contribution, kindness, and appreciationUsing imposter syndrome to improve preparation and performanceHandling difficult questions and challenges from senior leadersUsing “Tell me more” to demonstrate curiosity and confidencePreparing for C-suite presentations and executive Q&AStaying composed and credible when you don’t know the answerLeading with humility without diminishing your authorityTurning your inner critic into a “Chief Risk Officer”Using gratitude and positive reframing to manage stress and self-doubtCreating engagement and buy-in by inviting challengeWhy appreciation and positivity can strengthen leadership influence
September 09, 202637min