I'm feeling like a little squirrel as I write this, gathering my nuts, trying to capture all my snippets of information like podcasts, tools and articles in some kind of mega receptacle so I can keep track of everything. Organisation is not my strong suit, so right now many of my nuts are shoved into my little cheeks. I'm determined to find some good spots to hide them and become more organised once and for all this year.

But this edition isn't about my organisational challenges. It's about one specific nugget of wisdom I was handed by a participant in one of my recent webinars.

Executive presence is one of the core tenets of career development, particularly for those who aspire to leadership. It can sometimes feel elusive and even unobtainable for those who feel they don't naturally command authority and attention or for those who feel they go to pieces in situations where effective self-presentation is paramount.

But executive presence is a learnable skill, and I'll stick my neck out to say that even charisma is gettable. Many of the people you see around you who appear to have been born with the ability to hold a room may well have learnt this skill. I'd agree that some are born with it (or born into it), but I know for a fact through my coaching work that this is something that can be improved upon.

So how do you develop it? Preparation and practice are key. But prepare what exactly and practise how? Live, in a room full of expectant senior members of staff? No thanks.

What about in your own space and time, with a guide who can help you work through cutting out the 'ums' and 'ahs' and helping you decide where to add powerful silence when you speak?

​Orai is one of many AI tools to help you work on developing your presence, in this case through clear and effective communication. I have to stress, I'm not affiliated with this company - I just really like the tool and thought you might like it too.

So, from my webinar participant, to me, to you, I hope you enjoy the share that community gives us.

Do you have any brilliant development tools to share with me? AI or otherwise?

Hit reply to let me know, there's still some room in my little cheeks.

See you soon!

Sarah

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Speaking of developing your presence and getting unstuck in your career, I'm running a free webinar on 5th December at midday (GMT) called The Mid-Career Bottleneck: Why Hard Work Alone Isn't Enough.

If you've been working hard, delivering results, but still feel like you're not progressing the way you'd hoped, this one's for you. I'll be sharing the framework that's helped so many professionals get unstuck and move forward with clarity and confidence.

I'll also be talking about ways you can work with me in the New Year, including a group programme starting in February based on The Core Career Dials framework. We'll go deep into your development in the company of a small community of like-minded people.

​Register for the free webinar​

See you there?
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