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Kathryn Janicek

Unlock Your Full Influence: The Power of Emotional Intelligence for Executives

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Stop and LISTEN: Why EQ Is the Hidden Driver Behind Leadership Influence and Expertise

The most influential executive leaders aren’t necessarily the smartest people in the room. They’re the ones who understand emotions — their own and others’ — and leverage this understanding to drive results, build trust, and establish unshakeable credibility.

Research shows that emotional intelligence accounts for a significant portion of job performance across all industries, and the vast majority of top performers possess high emotional intelligence. For executives and leaders, EQ isn’t just a nice-to-have soft skill — it’s the foundation of influence.

At JPG, we teach you how to understand what motivates each team member and how to adapt your communication and leadership so you reach each person, audience, the board, whoever you need to move to action.

Developing executive emotional intelligence transforms good leaders into influential experts who command respect and drive meaningful change.

Build Trust with Employees and Clients Through Emotional Awareness

Trust is the currency of influence, and emotional intelligence is how you earn it. Leaders with high EQ understand that trust isn’t built through expertise alone — it’s cultivated through consistent emotional competence.

Here’s how emotionally intelligent leaders establish and maintain trust.

Amplify Your Expertise (and Sales) Through Emotional Connection

Your technical knowledge and strategic insights are valuable, but they become truly influential when delivered with emotional intelligence. High-EQ leaders know that people don’t just buy into ideas — they buy into the person presenting them.

  • Read the Room Effectively: Emotionally intelligent leaders can sense when their message isn’t landing and adjust their approach in real-time. This adaptability makes their expertise more accessible and impactful.
  • Navigate Resistance with Skill: When presenting challenging ideas or driving change, high-EQ leaders anticipate emotional responses and address them proactively. They understand that resistance often stems from fear or uncertainty, not disagreement with facts.
  • Create Emotional Buy-In: A study in Frontiers in Psychology found that emotionally intelligent leaders improve both behaviors and business results and have an impact on work team performance. They connect their expertise to the emotional needs and motivations of their audience, making complex concepts personally relevant.

Transform Performance Through EQ Leadership

The data is compelling: according to The Niagara Institute, employees who had managers with high emotional intelligence were four times less likely to leave than those who had managers with low emotional intelligence. This retention translates directly into influence—teams that stay together perform better and amplify their leader’s impact.

Emotionally intelligent leaders transform team performance by:

Leaders who develop their own EQ often become catalysts for organization-wide emotional intelligence development – JPG is here to help executives achieve their goals through practice.

Leverage EQ for Strategic Communication

Your ability to influence depends not just on what you communicate, but how you make people feel about what you’re communicating. As Harvard Business Review notes, “The most effective leaders are all alike in one crucial way: They all have a high degree of what has come to be known as emotional intelligence”.

Strategic emotional intelligence in communication involves several key practices that enhance a leader’s ability to connect, influence, and lead effectively.

One important aspect is timing emotional intelligence. This means knowing when to deliver difficult messages and when to give people space to process information. Leaders with high emotional intelligence recognize that timing can be the deciding factor between gaining support and meeting resistance — a skill we can teach you at JPG. 

Another element is adapting communication styles. People absorb and respond to information in different ways, both emotionally and cognitively. Emotionally intelligent leaders tailor their communication approach to align with the preferences and needs of their audience, increasing clarity and impact.

Finally, strategic use of emotional contagion is a powerful tool. Emotions tend to spread, and high-EQ leaders use this to their advantage by modeling the energy, optimism, and confidence they want to see within their teams or organizations. This deliberate emotional signaling can shape team morale and drive a more positive, resilient culture.

Future-Proof Your Leadership Influence

The business landscape is evolving rapidly, and according to Aims International research, the demand for EQ skills will most likely grow by six times in the next 3-5 years. Leaders who develop high emotional intelligence now are positioning themselves for sustained influence in an increasingly complex world.

Yet here’s the challenge: a significant gap exists between the need for high EQ and the actual number of leaders who possess strong emotional intelligence. This creates a significant opportunity for leaders who commit to developing their EQ.

Develop, measure, and lead with emotional intelligence.

  • Invest in Continuous EQ Development: According to PassiveSecrets research, 75% of Fortune 500 companies are already using EQ training tools, recognizing that emotional intelligence can be developed with intentional practice.
  • Measure and Track Your EQ Growth: Like any executive competency, emotional intelligence improves with measurement, feedback, and deliberate practice. As executive coach Mary Olson-Menzel wisely advises, “Give yourself the space and the grace to figure it out”—it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers, and surrounding yourself with people who can help amplify your strengths is part of emotional intelligence growth.
  • Build EQ Into Your Leadership Development Strategy: The most influential leaders treat emotional intelligence as seriously as they treat financial literacy or strategic planning. This includes what executive leadership expert Mary Olson-Menzel calls “empathetic and humane leadership”—embracing your natural gifts while surrounding yourself with people who complement your skillset and giving your team “the time and the space to think, learn and grow.”

Transform Your Influence: Why EQ Is Your Competitive Advantage

In a world where technical knowledge is increasingly commoditized, emotional intelligence becomes your differentiator. The leaders who understand this—who invest in developing their EQ alongside their expertise—become the voices that others follow, trust, and remember.

Your expertise gets you in the room. Your emotional intelligence makes you the person everyone in that room wants to hear from.

The data is clear: high emotional intelligence doesn’t just make you a better leader—it makes you a more influential expert whose impact extends far beyond your immediate team or organization.

Are you ready to develop the emotional intelligence that transforms expertise into influence?

Let’s work together to build your executive EQ at JPG and help you drive your success and that of your company.

From Classroom to Boardroom: The College Blueprint for Speaking Success

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Here’s What You (or Your Kids) Can Do to Build Executive Presence Starting in College

At JPG, we coach executives in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are operating at the highest levels. These executives present to colleagues, board members, and industry panels, where they need to be viewed as knowledgeable and charismatic.

And do you know what many whisper to me right before I start preparing them?

“I wish I hadn’t skipped that presentation class in college.”

You’re reading that right. This starts early.

The self-doubt. The hesitation to present in front of others. The fear of messing up publicly. The fear of failure.

And now… it’s decades later and they wish they had worked on this skill sooner, because they’re playing expensive catch-up as senior executives.

The executives who command attention in boardrooms, influence policymakers, and inspire teams all share something in common. They didn’t wait until their first job to start building their speaking skills.

The truth is, your college years offer something you’ll never get again—a (relatively) consequence-free environment to experiment, fail, learn, and grow. Miss this window, and you could spend your career playing catch-up while your peers who maximized these opportunities are already influencing outcomes and advancing faster.

Here are the strategies to turn your college experience into a speaking success accelerator.

You Can’t Skip Presenting in Class

Every semester, the same scene plays out across college campuses. Students carefully craft their schedules with one primary goal: avoiding presentations at all costs. They’ll choose the professor known for only giving written exams, select classes that focus exclusively on individual projects, or even delay graduation to dodge that dreaded public speaking requirement.   

This is perhaps the most expensive mistake you can make for your professional development.

Every time you avoid a presentation opportunity, you’re not just missing an assignment—you’re passing up leadership development that costs executives thousands of dollars to acquire later. I work with senior leaders who pay premium rates to develop the exact skills you can build for free in college classrooms.

The hidden cost of avoidance compounds quickly. Your first workplace presentation becomes trial by fire instead of natural progression. You miss four-plus years of low-stakes practice opportunities while your colleagues who embraced college speaking advance faster. Most damaging of all, you develop presentation anxiety instead of presentation confidence, which means your brilliant ideas get overlooked because you can’t articulate them effectively.

Your Presentation Strategy Playbook

In college, you get access to different presentation formats that mirror executive-level communication:

Solo presentations build individual confidence and personal brand recognition.

Group presentations develop collaborative leadership and consensus-building skills.

Impromptu speaking teaches quick thinking under pressure.

Q&A sessions master the art of graceful recovery and authentic expertise demonstration.

Network Like Your Future Depends on It (Because It Does)

Your dorm neighbor today could be your business partner tomorrow. Your study group member might offer you your dream job in five years. The debate team president could introduce you to the investor who funds your startup.

But here’s what most students miss entirely: Networking isn’t just about collecting contacts—it’s about practicing communication skills with different personality types in various professional contexts. Every club meeting, every event, every casual conversation becomes an opportunity to refine how you articulate ideas, build rapport, and influence outcomes.

The most strategic approach involves joining clubs aligned with your career goals while actively pursuing leadership positions. Business students should engage with entrepreneurship clubs, case competition teams, and business fraternities. Engineering students benefit from professional societies, robotics teams, and hackathons. Liberal arts students develop crucial skills through debate teams, Model UN, and student government participation.

Being Part of a Team Teaches You How to Be Coachable

The free-throw line with two seconds left. The serve at match point. The penalty kick with the championship on the line.

These moments teach you something no classroom can replicate: how to perform when it matters most.

When you commit to playing a team sport in college, you’re not just building physical fitness—you’re developing the psychological resilience and performance-under-pressure abilities that separate good speakers from great ones. The feedback loop in sports provides immediate, honest assessment that accelerates growth. Your coach doesn’t sugarcoat performance critiques, and teammates don’t hesitate to point out when you’re not contributing effectively.

This environment teaches you to receive criticism constructively, implement changes quickly, and maintain confidence even when performance isn’t perfect. These skills transfer seamlessly to professional environments where you need to handle challenging questions, adapt presentations based on audience feedback, and recover gracefully from mistakes.

The Communication Skills Hidden in Competition

The athletic mindset toward improvement—analyzing performance, accepting coaching, and persistently working on weaknesses—creates the foundation for lifelong communication skill development.

Pre-presentation nerves get managed like pre-game butterflies.

Hostile audiences get handled like opposing team pressure.

Technical difficulties get adapted to like equipment malfunctions during competition.

Performance mistakes get recovered from like missed shots or dropped passes.

The Winning Mindset That Transforms Speakers

Your relationship with success and failure shows up in every presentation you give, every meeting you lead, and every conversation that could advance your career.

Students with winning mindsets don’t just perform better academically—they develop the confidence and resilience that make them magnetic speakers throughout their careers. This mindset starts with reframing how you view challenges and setbacks. Instead of seeing difficult presentations as potential sources of embarrassment, view them as opportunities to develop skills that will serve you for decades.

The most effective approach involves setting specific, measurable speaking goals rather than hoping to simply “get through” presentations. Maybe you want to maintain eye contact with audience members for 80% of your presentation time, or perhaps you’re working to eliminate filler words from five-minute segments. These measurable goals create accountability and provide clear markers of improvement.

Build Your Online Brand

Your digital presence speaks before you enter the room.

In today’s professional landscape, your online brand serves as a preview of your communication skills, thought leadership potential, and professional maturity. Employers, potential collaborators, and speaking opportunity organizers will evaluate your digital footprint long before they hear you speak in person.

LinkedIn becomes your most important professional platform, but treating it like an online resume misses the opportunity entirely. Transform your profile into a communication showcase by optimizing your headline to highlight speaking-related achievements and developing expertise. Share insights from coursework and projects weekly, demonstrating your ability to distill complex concepts into valuable takeaways for professional audiences.

The content you create serves as speaking practice in written form. Blog posts teach you to organize complex ideas logically while LinkedIn articles help develop industry-relevant thought leadership. Social media threads force you to communicate concepts concisely, and guest posting opportunities help you adapt your voice for different audiences.

Your Speaking Success Starts Today

Sometimes the most powerful transformations come from small, strategic investments that start way before you need them.

The choice becomes clear when you understand the stakes: spend four years avoiding the discomfort of speaking opportunities, then scramble to catch up in your first job, or use these college years as your strategic advantage, building skills that will accelerate your career from day one.

Your future boardroom presentation that secures your promotion is being shaped by the decision you make today about that upcoming class presentation.

Ready to Transform Your Leadership Communication?

The executives who dominate boardrooms, influence billion-dollar decisions, and command standing ovations didn’t develop those skills by accident. They invested in expert coaching that transforms natural ability into magnetic presence.

At JPG, we’ve helped Fortune 500 leaders go from monotone presentations to spontaneous standing ovations. We’ve prepared rising executives for their first board presentations to global leadership teams. We’ve coached philanthropic leaders addressing diplomats at international events.

The difference between good leaders and unforgettable ones isn’t talent—it’s training.

Your competitors are already investing in executive presence coaching. The question is: will you let them gain the advantage, or will you claim your spot as the leader everyone remembers?

Whether you’re preparing for high-stakes investor meetings, board presentations, or media interviews where every word matters, we’ll help you command the room from the moment you speak.

Ready to discover what magnetic leadership looks like for your team?

Contact JPG today for a strategic consultation. Because the leaders who shape industries don’t leave their influence to chance.

Transform your experts into influential, magnetic leaders. The boardroom is waiting.

Schedule a consultation → At JPG, we’ll help you develop these skills — even if you skipped that class.

The Power of Neutral Body Language for Executive Presence

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Why the Line Between Confidence and Conceit Can Make or Break Your Leadership Impact

You’ve worked hard to get where you are. You’re smart, capable, and deserving of the executive role you hold. Yet there’s a delicate balance every leader must master: projecting confidence without crossing into arrogance, showing authority without appearing conceited.

Many high-achieving executives struggle with this balance. They either overcompensate with aggressive body language that alienates their audience, or they underplay their authority and fail to command the respect they’ve earned. The solution lies in mastering what we call “neutral confidence,” a physical presence that communicates competence and authority while remaining approachable and authentic.

The truth is, the body language patterns from your past — whether from athletics, military service, or other formative experiences — often tip you too far in one direction or the other. Developing authentic executive presence means finding that perfect middle ground where confidence meets approachability.

Five tips to help you master your body language as an executive

Avoid the Confidence Extremes That Undermine Your Authority

The biggest mistake executives make is swinging too far in either direction, either appearing overly aggressive or insufficiently confident. Both extremes damage your ability to influence and lead effectively.

Here’s how past experiences commonly create these problematic extremes.

  • The “High Chin” Trap: Many executives think confidence means lifting their chin high and looking down at others. This often stems from being told to “hold your head up high,” but it creates an arrogant appearance that makes audiences defensive and resistant to your message.

  • The “Wrestler Stance” Problem: Former athletes, particularly those from contact sports, often maintain an aggressive, forward-leaning posture with shoulders hunched and head lowered. While this projected strength in competition, it can appear confrontational or intimidating in executive settings.

  • The “Defensive Crouch” Pattern: Leaders who grew up in challenging environments or dealt with insecurity might default to looking down, hands in pockets, or closed-off positioning. This protective body language signals uncertainty and undermines executive authority.

Confidence isn’t about projecting dominance or hiding vulnerability, it’s about demonstrating calm, centered competence.

Master the Sweet Spot: Neutral Confidence

Neutral confidence is the perfect balance between authority and approachability. It’s confident without being conceited, strong without being aggressive, and open without being vulnerable. This is the physical presence that makes you likable, that makes people want to listen to you and trust your leadership.

Here’s how to embody neutral confidence.

  • Head Position: Keep your head level and centered, neither tilted up in an arrogant position nor angled down defensively. Your head should sit naturally on your shoulders, creating a neutral line that allows for comfortable eye contact without looking down on others or appearing submissive.

  • Shoulder Alignment: Let your shoulders sit naturally in a relaxed but upright position. Avoid pulling them back in rigid military attention (which can appear stiff) or hunching them forward defensively (which signals insecurity). This natural positioning projects both strength and accessibility.

  • Natural Hand Placement: Your hands should rest comfortably at your sides — not clasped behind your back (too formal), crossed in front (defensive), or buried in your pockets (too casual). This open position signals confidence and accessibility while avoiding both arrogant and insecure posturing.

The Executive Stage Entrance: Confidence Without Conceit

The way you walk onto a stage or enter a room is where the balance between confidence and conceit is most visible. This entrance sets the tone for how your audience perceives your leadership — and it’s where executives most commonly tip too far toward arrogance or insecurity.

Your balanced executive entrance should follow this sequence.

  • Purposeful Walk: Move with intention and control, but not with the swagger that suggests superiority. Your pace should reflect thoughtful confidence, not the rushed energy of nervousness nor the slow, deliberate walk that can appear condescending.

  • Centered Positioning: When you reach your speaking position, plant your feet shoulder-width apart in a stable, grounded stance. Avoid the wide athletic stance that projects aggression or the narrow, tentative positioning that suggests uncertainty.

  • The Confidence Pause: Before you begin speaking, take a moment to look at your audience and breathe. This pause demonstrates comfort with attention and control of the moment. Keep it brief to avoid appearing self-important or overly dramatic.

Transform Your Internal Dialogue

Often, the body language patterns we carry from our past are linked to internal narratives that no longer serve us. The wrestler who learned to look intimidating, the shy kid who learned to avoid eye contact, or the military officer who learned to maintain rigid posture — these adaptations made sense in their original context.

Executive presence coaching helps you recognize and transform these patterns.

  • Acknowledge Your Journey: Recognize that the experiences that shaped you also gave you valuable qualities — determination, resilience, competitive drive. The goal isn’t to eliminate these traits but to express them in ways that serve your current role.

  • Embrace Your Evolution: You’re not the same person you were in college or in your first job. Your body language can evolve too. Give yourself permission to show up differently as the executive you are today.

  • Practice New Patterns: Like any skill, neutral confidence requires conscious practice. Work with coaches or trusted colleagues to identify when your old patterns emerge and consciously choose new responses.

Read the Room and Adapt Your Presence

Neutral confidence isn’t about maintaining the same exact posture in every situation. It’s about having a centered baseline that you can adjust based on your audience and context while maintaining your authentic authority.

Consider these adjustments.

  • High-Stakes Presentations: Maintain slightly more formal posture while keeping the natural, approachable elements of neutral confidence.

  • Team Meetings: Allow for more relaxed positioning while ensuring you don’t slip into defensive or casual patterns that undermine your leadership.

  • One-on-One Conversations: Match the energy of your conversation partner while maintaining your centered presence. Successful leaders should be curious, open and respectful while maintaining their authentic leadership presence.

Own Your Authority Without Alienating Your Audience

The most influential executives understand that true confidence doesn’t need to prove itself through aggressive posturing or superior positioning. Instead, it demonstrates itself through calm, centered authority that invites engagement rather than demanding submission.

Your past experiences — whether competitive athletics, military service, or overcoming challenges — gave you valuable qualities like determination, resilience, and drive. The goal isn’t to eliminate these traits but to express them through neutral confidence that commands respect without creating resistance.

Remember, you’ve earned your place in the executive suite. Your body language should reflect that achievement while remaining approachable and authentic. When you master the balance between confidence and conceit, you give your expertise and intelligence the physical presence that enhances rather than undermines your message.

The goal isn’t to become someone else, it’s to let the competent, approachable leader you are show up fully in every room you enter.

Ready to master the confidence that connects rather than intimidates?

We’re here to help you master every aspect of executive presence at JPG!

Polling with Purpose: Engage With Your Audience Immediately with this Introduction

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How Beginning Your Presentation With An Audience Poll Sets You Up For Success

 

For a powerful executive presentation that connects with and is remembered by your audience, you have to engage with everyone in the room (whether physical or virtual) within the first few minutes of your talk. 

 

Whether you’re presenting in a virtual conference panel or physically in front of the board of your company, that engagement is crucial to your success. You have several options for this type of presentation introductory strategy — a simple yet effective choice is taking a poll.

 

Why Conducting A Poll Will Amp Up Your Introduction

 

At JPG, we teach our clients the importance of having this “cognitive anchor” at the beginning of our presentations or somewhere within — no matter what kind of presentations they are. A “cognitive anchor” refers to the anchoring effect, which is when an audience relies heavily on the first information they receive to make a judgment or decision (such as whether or not to trust and/or listen to you while you’re speaking). 

 

Studies show that audiences decide whether or not to fully participate (pay attention) to a presentation within the first 10 seconds of listening. So, if you start strong, chances are your audience will stay with you for your entire talk. One way to win this strong start is to engage your audience immediately. 

How Polling Your Audience Draws Them In

 

Starting your presentation with something simple, such as a “How many of you had to drive in this morning?” connects your audience to you and what you’re about to present to them immediately. Polling stops them from multitasking, encourages participation, and makes your presentation more interactive. 

Polling your audience gets you two huge wins as a speaker immediately.

 

  • It prompts the audience (when in a physical room) to look around the space and see what the majority answer is. 
  • People connect with one another — those in the front row turn around, folks in the back look beside them — it gets everyone curious about the baseline answer that the poll questioned.
  • It gives you context for whatever you’re about to speak on next.
  • It gives you an entry point to engage more with an audience member later on in your talk. 

 

After you get these wins, you need to use them. When you ask for the “show of hands” — follow that up with sharing with the audience what you’re seeing and what you’re learning about them. Give them the context that you’ll use to appeal to them more.

Using Your Introduction To Tailor Your Talk To Your Audience

 

A simple question might seem surface-level, but it gives you valuable insight into the mindset of your audience, which is vital for your success as a speaker. You can go a level deeper if the question starts off the topic of your presentation. 

 

Recently, JPG coached an executive to take part in a roundtable panel to discuss the current state of the construction industry. 

 

When asked what artificial intelligence innovations or tools his company is looking at investing in and implementing, he turned to the audience with a question: “How many pages of documentation do you think you generate for a 400-foot high-rise job? Show of hands if you think it’s at least 500,000.” 

 

The majority of hands in the room went up. 

 

He then increased the question to 1 million, then 2 million, then 3 million. With each raise, more and more hands went down until only a few were left held high. 

 

The answer was 3.2 million. 

 

He used this audience poll not just as context for the audience, but as knowledge for himself so that he could accurately frame and inflect his vocal tone on what he said next not only about the automation tools that his company is considering and why, but how tools like this could potentially impact the entire industry — including everyone in the room. 

 

That audience poll gave him an “in” to the rest of his talk and, in the process, grabbed the attention of everyone in the room.

 

This is exactly how you need to approach not only audience engagement but also the first few precious minutes of any talk you give. 

 

Master Audience Engagement with Janicek Performance Group

Executive Presentation Coaching can help with Strategy

 

When used intentionally, polling isn’t just a moment of audience interaction—it’s a strategic move that sets the tone for the rest of your talk. A well-timed poll captures attention, builds immediate rapport, and gives you real-time insight into your audience’s mindset. With the right coaching, you can turn this simple technique into one of your most effective communication tools.

 

At JPG, we can give you the skills to master this simple yet powerful tool.  We help professionals master tools like audience polling to deliver confident, relevant, and high-impact presentations — whether on stage or on screen.

 Key Preparations Before Your Big Speech or Presentation: Tips for Executives and Leaders

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Why Proper Preparation Sets the Stage for an Unforgettable Performance

As an executive or leader, your ability to deliver an impactful keynote or speech is often a reflection of your preparation. While the day of the event is crucial, the night before is just as important. 

Preparing for your speech in advance ensures you step onto the stage with confidence, fully ready to engage your audience.

Below are key actions we coach our clients to take the night before a big speech to ensure they’re set up for success.

1. Visit the Venue Early

Getting to the venue the night before your speech is one of the most important things you can do to reduce uncertainty and boost your confidence. This simple act helps you familiarize yourself with the space, anticipate any challenges, and mentally prepare. 

Here’s what to focus on when you visit.

  • Stage Layout: How many steps are there to the stage? Where is the lectern placed? You may prefer the lectern to be removed to have more freedom of movement. If so, ask in advance for it to be cleared.

  • Monitors and Teleprompters: Know what kind of equipment is available to you for your script or slides. If there is a monitor, make sure you can see your slides without needing to turn around constantly. This ensures smooth transitions during your presentation and allows you to maintain eye contact with your audience. If there is a teleprompter, ensure that you are comfortable with its speed setting and practice beforehand if possible.

  • Lighting and Audio: Check how well-lit the stage is and the placement of microphones. Understand the acoustics of the room to avoid any surprises on the big day.

2. Arrive Early for Sound Check

Never underestimate the importance of a sound check. Although it may be optional, it’s a non-negotiable part of your preparation. 

Arriving early for the sound check gives you the opportunity to prepare in several ways.

  • Test Audio Equipment: Ensure the microphone works well, whether it’s a handheld or lavalier mic. Know how it feels and adjust it if necessary. For instance, if you prefer using your hands freely, check if a lavalier mic would work best for you.

  • Get Comfortable with the Mic: If you’re using a stick mic, practice holding it and getting accustomed to your movement and gestures. This helps you avoid any discomfort when you’re on stage. If you’ll be given a lavalier mic, make sure you’re wearing attire that has an appropriate collar or place to attach it.

  • Minimize the Unexpected: Testing the mic and sound system helps you avoid potential technical difficulties that could distract you during your speech.

3. Plan Your Performance

You might feel nervous or even experience anxiety before speaking, but preparation can help reduce these feelings. When you’re familiar with the environment, equipment, and technical aspects, you’re better equipped to focus on the delivery itself.

  • Mental Rehearsal: Visualize your performance as you review the venue and audio setup. Picture yourself confidently walking on stage, delivering your key messages, and engaging the audience.

  • Personal Routine: Consider any pre-speech rituals that help calm your nerves. Whether it’s a breathing exercise, a few minutes of meditation, or reviewing your notes, find what works for you and make it part of your preparation.

4. Don’t Rely on Last-Minute Rehearsals

While practicing your speech is essential, avoid cramming or stressing over last-minute rehearsals the night before. Instead, take time to relax and ensure you’re mentally and physically ready. A good night’s sleep is just as important as your final prep. Your brain needs rest to perform at its best. 

5. Prepare for the Unexpected

Finally, remember that no matter how well you prepare, things may not go as planned. And that’s okay. 

Leaders who excel are able to adapt and think on their feet — training with JPG professionals can help you develop this skill (this is another reason you need sleep, so you can think on your feet). If something goes wrong, whether it’s technical difficulties, a forgotten slide, or a question you weren’t prepared for, stay calm, keep your composure, and focus on delivering value to your audience.

Set the Stage for Success: What to Do the Night Before Your Big Speech 

The night before your big speech is an opportunity to set yourself up for success. By visiting the venue, conducting a sound check, mentally rehearsing, and ensuring your equipment is ready, you’ll reduce the potential for surprises and walk onto the stage ready to impress. 

With these strategies, you’ll be poised to deliver an exceptional performance, whether in front of 12 or 3,000 people. 

Are you ready to command the stage and transform your expertise to influence?

We’re here to help at JPG!

Adapting Your Communication: The Power of Listening and Learning in Every Room

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Master the art of reading the room and adjusting your communication style to inspire, engage, and lead with impact

As executive leaders, we communicate with teams, clients, partners, and sometimes even with ourselves, often shaping our leadership presence based on the environment we’re in.

How do we adapt to the ever-changing dynamics around us?

From my life experiences, I’ve learned a valuable lesson: the importance of watching and learning from the room you’re in and adapting your communications to reach the people inside that room.

When I was young, my family moved around a lot for my dad’s job. Boston, New Hampshire, Southern California, Salt Lake City, and back to the Chicago area. Every time we relocated, I was faced with the challenge of figuring out how to communicate in a new setting. How could I get along with new classmates, make new friends, and adapt to each school’s unique culture? Each region had different rules, and I had to constantly adjust my communication style to fit in and thrive.

For my own career, I worked and went to college in Milwaukee, then moved to Champaign, then Lincoln, Memphis, Detroit, Minneapolis and then back to Chicago to work at WGN TV, WBBM Radio, and NBC Chicago. 

This experience taught me the power of adaptability, especially when it comes to communication.

Leadership isn’t just about talking; it’s about understanding the environment, listening to your team, and adjusting your approach to achieve the desired outcome. The world is constantly changing, and as leaders, we need to ensure our communication evolves just as quickly.

The Importance of Listening

One of the most significant skills in adapting your communication is listening. It’s not just about hearing words but understanding the message behind them. 

Whether in a team meeting, client discussion, or networking event, it’s crucial to listen actively. Understand the nuances of what’s being said, pick up on body language, and be aware of the overall tone in the room. These elements help you communicate more effectively by tailoring your approach to what’s actually needed in that moment.

In my own journey, moving from place to place, I learned quickly that communication styles weren’t universal. What worked in one environment didn’t always work in another. Understanding these differences helped me connect with others on a deeper level, and it’s the same in any leadership situation today.

Adapting Based on the Room

As a leader, how do you communicate in different settings? Do you adjust your tone and approach based on your audience or the atmosphere of the meeting?

I think back to my years of moving from school to school, learning how to adapt to the various social structures and dynamics in each place. Similarly, in the business world, each meeting or negotiation can require a slightly different communication style.

At Janicek Performance Group, we coach executives to understand their audience and adjust their communication approach with different stakeholders. What works when addressing a team may differ from how you communicate with board members or investors.

This adaptability is key to ensuring your message resonates and engages your audience, no matter who they are.

How Can You Begin to Adapt Your Communication Today?

  1. Observe the Room: Take a moment to observe the dynamics in each room you enter. How is the energy? What’s the mood? What are people’s body language and facial expressions saying?

  2. Listen More Than You Speak: As leaders, we often feel compelled to speak and lead the conversation. But some of the best insights come from simply listening — understanding what others are saying and how they’re saying it.

  3. Adjust Your Approach: Whether you’re in a formal boardroom or an informal brainstorming session, be ready to adjust your tone, pace, and language to better fit the environment. What might seem appropriate in one setting could come across as disconnected in another.

  4. Learn from Every Interaction: Every room is an opportunity to learn something new. Even if things don’t go as planned, there’s always something valuable to take away. Use those moments to refine your communication style.

In leadership, there’s no one-size-fits-all communication strategy. Just like I had to adapt to new environments as a child, we must continuously learn from the different settings we find ourselves in. By paying attention to our surroundings, listening more intently, and adjusting our approach, we can strengthen our ability to lead with influence and impact.

So, as you move through your day, ask yourself: How am I communicating in this room? Am I adapting to the situation, or am I defaulting to my usual style?

The key to effective leadership is not just about speaking clearly, it’s about understanding the context, listening to your team, and communicating in a way that builds trust and fosters growth. At JPG, we can help you learn and become a better leader — and listener. 

Understand Your Audience: The Key to Authentic Leadership and Public Speaking

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Why Understanding Your Audience Shapes Your Executive Leadership Presence

The Most Important Connection Happens Before You Make a Decision 

With executive leadership, one of the most common mistakes is assuming we know what our audience needs without really understanding their day-to-day challenges. 

It is easy to make decisions from a distance, thinking we know what works, but that approach often lacks the depth needed to truly connect.

Why Leaders Must Understand Their Audience 

You will be more successful as a leader if you take the time to deeply understand your audience. Their needs, challenges, and what truly drives them. When you immerse yourself in their world, your message becomes more relevant and impactful.

Imagine the difference between saying:

 “They are struggling,” versus saying, 

“I spent time with them. I listened to their stories. They are fighting hard and need real solutions. Let me tell you about one specific example…” 

The latter does not just sound better, it resonates because it is grounded in reality. Your audience will see that you are not just speaking from a distance, you are advocating from within their world. This work can be done with training and care for your audience; our team is here to help.

Here are 5 ways JPG coaches leaders to deepen their understanding of their audience:

  1. Spend Time with them: Regularly engage with your audience to understand their perspectives firsthand. Giving a keynote? Show up early. Talk to people and call them out during your presentation.
  2. Listen Actively: Go beyond surface-level feedback by asking insightful questions and truly listening to responses.
  3. Adapt Your Strategy: Use what you learn to shape your approach and create more tailored, impactful solutions.
  4. Communicate from Experience: Share stories and insights gained from your direct interactions to build credibility and trust.
  5. Follow Up with Action: Show your commitment by addressing the challenges you witnessed.

Ready to connect more deeply with your audience? Discover how JPG’s coaching can transform the way you lead, starting with who you’re leading.

You do not need to have all the answers; you need the right questions 

The call to action for leaders is simple: challenge yourself to go beyond assumptions. 

Connect with your audience in a meaningful way. 

Show that you care enough to immerse yourself in their reality. 

Your leadership will transform into influence when rooted in experience, not just theory.

At Janicek Performance Group, we specialize in training leaders to accelerate growth, command attention, and drive innovation through impactful communication. If you’re ready to refine your presence, project confidence, and take control of your message, reach out today to learn how we can help.

Why Your Inner Voice Shapes Your Executive Leadership Presence

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The most important conversation happens before you ever open your mouth

Before I consult anyone on how to transform from expert to influential leader, I ask one simple question:

What are you saying to yourself?

Before you ever speak to a team, an audience, or even a loved one, you’re already communicating. With yourself.

Some days, your inner voice builds you up: “You’ve got this.”
Other days? It picks you apart: “Don’t mess this up,” or, “You’re totally going to mess this up.”

It’s subtle. It’s persistent. And it’s shaping every interaction you have.

Here’s the truth: You have power over that voice. But like any habit, it takes awareness, intention, and daily practice.

Why Mindset Matters More Than You Think

I often share Stanford research with my clients. It finds that simply shifting your mindset can improve your health, decrease stress, and help you bounce back from life’s biggest challenges.

This isn’t fluff. It’s neuroscience.

And it applies directly to executive leadership communication.
Because if you don’t believe in what you’re saying, or in yourself, your audience won’t either.

Before we talk about strategy, storytelling, or how to “win the room,” we have to address the dialogue happening inside the room of your mind. That’s what sets the tone for everything else.

What Does Your Inner Voice Sound Like Today?

I hear it all the time from executives, physicians, and high-performers I coach:

  • “I know my stuff, but I second-guess myself before I speak.”
  • “I want to sound confident, but I keep thinking I’m not good enough.”
  • “I feel like I have to prove myself before I’ve even opened my mouth.”

Sound familiar?

This inner dialogue doesn’t make you a weak leader. It makes you a human one.

But if we don’t recognize and recalibrate it, that voice will undermine your presence before you ever say a single word.

5 Ways to Shift Your Inner Dialogue and Strengthen Your Presence

Want to turn your inner critic into your inner coach? Start with these small, practical shifts:

1. Name It to Tame It – Identify Your Inner Dialog

Notice what your inner voice is saying, without judgment.
Is it helping you lead or making you shrink?

Try this: At the start of your day or before a big meeting, jot down one thing your inner voice is telling you. Then ask: Would I say this to a colleague I respect?

2. Reframe Self-Talk into Self-Coaching

Instead of: “Don’t mess this up.”
Try: “You’ve prepared for this. You’ve got tools. Focus on what matters.”

Your tone of voice to yourself matters just as much as your tone of voice to others.

3. Set a Pre-Talk Mantra

Before you walk into a room or deliver a message, use a grounding phrase.

Examples:

  • “I don’t need to be perfect. I need to be present.”
  • “I have something valuable to say.”
  • “This moment is not about me. It’s about the people I serve.”

4. Record, Review, Reflect

Record yourself speaking in low-pressure moments (like casual presentations or Zoom calls). Watch it back. Not for critique, but for patterns.

Notice how your inner voice might have shaped your delivery. Did you hold back? Did your tone drop? Did you rush?

5. Build Your Evidence File

Keep a digital or physical folder of positive feedback, wins, and “you crushed it” moments. Read it before high-stakes conversations.

Confidence doesn’t come from hype. It comes from proof.
And you have more proof than your inner critic gives you credit for.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect. You Need to Be Present.

This isn’t about checking a box or fitting into some outdated mold of what a “leader” should look or sound like.

It’s about showing up grounded, intentional, human.
As the leader, colleague, parent, or partner you want to be.

So the next time you prepare for a presentation, a hard conversation, or a meeting that matters, start here:

Ask yourself,
“What am I saying to myself?”

Because your inner voice is speaking first.
And the world is listening.

At Janicek Performance Group, we specialize in training leaders to accelerate growth, command attention, and drive innovation through impactful communication. If you’re ready to transform from expert to influential leader, refine your presence, project confidence, and take control of your message, reach out today to learn how we can help.

A Body Language Secret For Leaders

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Executive Presence Starts with Awareness, Not Perfection

Before you say a single word, your audience is already forming an opinion.

It starts with your body.
And most often, it starts with your hands.

I’ve coached thousands of executives, emerging leaders, and high-stakes speakers. And there’s one pattern I see over and over, especially in moments that matter most:

We bring our hands up.
Right in front of our chest. Guarding our core. Clutching a pointer. Fidgeting with a ring. Folding them tightly in front of us like armor.

Why does this happen?

Public speaking, even in a boardroom, not a ballroom, triggers a primal instinct to protect ourselves.

You’re exposed. You’re hoping to be liked. You’re working hard to sound smart, credible, in control.
You want to be seen, but you’re also subconsciously protecting yourself from being judged.

That protective posture makes perfect sense. But here’s the thing:

The message your body sends might be undermining the message you’re trying to deliver.

When your hands are clutched close to your chest, your audience sees hesitation.
When your gestures are tight or overly rehearsed, they see nervousness.
When your body looks guarded, they feel your insecurity even if your words say otherwise.

And when you’re leading the room, that’s not the impression you want to leave behind.

Want to Lead with More Confidence? Start with Your Body.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about intentionality.
You’ve already done the hard work. Developing the strategy, refining the data, preparing the message.

Now let your presence support the power of your words.

Here are five simple ways to align your body language with your message:

1. Lower Your Hands

Let your arms rest naturally at your sides or loosely in front of you. This signals confidence, calm, and openness.

When in doubt, start with hands at your side and use purposeful, intentional gestures to reinforce your words. Avoid the “T-Rex” position (hands clutched just below your neck) or the “fig leaf” (hands locked low in front of your body). Both restrict your energy and your message.

2. Ground Yourself

Before you speak, take a beat.
Feel your feet planted.
Breathe.
A grounded posture, shoulders back, spine tall, projects stability and authority. It also calms your nervous system and centers your attention.

3. Use Open Gestures

When you gesture, open your palms. Let your movements be natural, not scripted.
This creates connection. It communicates transparency and authenticity. Two of the most important traits in any leader.

4. Practice With Intention

Record yourself. Watch with the sound off.
Where are your hands? What is your body language saying without your voice?

Self-awareness is the first step toward transformation.

5. Remember This: You Are Enough

You don’t need to overcompensate with grand gestures or constant movement.
Your message is strong. Your presence matters. And you don’t need to earn the right to be in the room. You already belong there.

Let your body reflect the confidence you’ve already earned.

Confidence is Contagious. So is Nervous Energy.

If your body language is broadcasting self-doubt, the room will feel it.

But when you ground yourself, when you own your presence, people don’t just hear you.
They trust you. They believe you. They follow you.

This is the power of executive presence.
And it starts long before you ever open your mouth.

At Janicek Performance Group, we specialize in training leaders to accelerate growth, command attention, and drive innovation through impactful communication. If you’re ready to refine your presence, project confidence, and take control of your message, reach out today to learn how we can help.