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leadership

Secrets of success from a prisoner of war with Major General John Borling

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I’m often flown in to train executives on how to reach people internally and externally better. I teach them how to make deeper connections so they can be more successful.

Sometimes I’m asked if being vulnerable on stage, in the media, or with the people you lead makes you look weak.

I answer: you can’t get people to follow you unless they feel you.

They need to feel your mission, understand it, and know why you’re so hell-bent on accomplishing the goal.

I want to use a real tough guy example to prove my point.

Major General John Borling is one of the strongest men I know.

He was a fighter pilot with the U.S. Air Force and a prisoner of war during Vietnam. He was Senator John McCain’s “roommate” while they were held captive.

He’s now a chairman of a biotech company, a national public speaker, and writes a weekly column.

He knows how important it is to be vulnerable to be an effective leader.

I decided to interview him so I could share this with you.

Major General Borling also shared his advice on dealing with trauma, wrestling with sadness, regret, anger, and loneliness — and succeeding.

He also describes the importance of leaning on others and how he did that to survive 6 ½ years as a prisoner of war, why it’s important to shine a light on your mistakes right away, and knowing when to fight. Great advice from this retired fighter pilot!

You’re going to learn a lot from this conversation. I did.

Here’s Major General John Borling – Secrets of Success From a Prisoner of War.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

✔️ Just keep marching. Thoreau said, “The mass of man leads lives of quiet desperation. Confirmed desperation is resignation.” John Borling advises to never resign and continue progressing.

✔️ Lean on others. How did John Borling survive 6 ½  years in a Hanoi prison? Talking with others – even between walls. He opened himself up to his fellow inmates’ skills and personalities and learned French in the process.

✔️ Know when to fight. Leaders must accept that they’re also imperfect. That means rest is crucial to avoid burnout. “When the struggle times come, that’s when you do it. You have to get all the altitude you can,” John Borling says.

✔️ Serve beyond yourself. Self-improvement can be for the greater good. But the true meaning of life comes from committing to helping others.

✔️ Look back, but don’t stare. It’s perfectly okay to remember your past traumas and failures. As you wrestle with the sadness, regret, anger, and loneliness, fight as much as you can to move forward.

✔️ Shine a light on your mistakes right away. It’s all part of being human. Pushing it aside will only make it worse. Showing that level of vulnerability propels your credibility as a thought leader.

P.S. Want more tips? Be sure to sign up for my LinkedIn newsletter where you’ll get exclusive tips on strengthening your mindset to become a better communicator. Click here to subscribe to Thought Leaders Amplified on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training program for healthcare professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in healthcare. Check it out even if you’re not in healthcare. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are a few more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Need actionable strategies to be a more trusted, authentic, confident, and inspiring thought leader? I just launched a podcast called Thought Leaders Amplified – you can listen to it here.
  2. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  3. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  4. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

Stop touching your face in Zoom meetings

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Body language is essential to get right whenever you’re presenting.

Even though we’re only seeing the top third of your body on Zoom (or Microsoft Teams or Google Meet), how you appear up there matters.

This is especially true when you need to be perceived as a leader.

This is not about lookin’ good.

It’s about gaining the trust of your audience.

Whether you’re giving a sales presentation, talking with a client, leading a meeting, or giving a media interview — here are three things I highly recommend you stop doing.

Touching your face

When we touch our face it tells the audience we’re nervous or uncomfortable.

We want to come across confident so our audience trusts us and the company we represent.

Touching your hair

When we fiddle with our hair or move it away from our face, it again makes our audience less confident in us.

Make sure your hair is always away from your face and it doesn’t move into your eyes so you don’t have a tendency to touch it.

Looking at other monitors

You wouldn’t stare out of the window or at your phone during an in-person meeting, would you?

This is why we shouldn’t look away from the person we’re meeting with and at another monitor.

You’ve seen it, you’ve felt it, you know how rude this is.

Making these small tweaks makes a huge impression on audiences.

Whether it’s an audience of one or many.

One specific VP told me recently his team is much more engaged now when he speaks.

And it happened right after he enacted the “stop touching your face” (for him, he touched his beard a lot) and “stop looking at other monitors” rules I created for him.

He says his team is more engaged.

That’s all it took.

Worth a try, right?

P.S. Want more tips? Be sure to sign up for my LinkedIn newsletter where you’ll get exclusive tips on strengthening your mindset to become a better communicator. Click here to subscribe to Thought Leaders Amplified on LinkedIn.

P.P.S. I created a training for health care professionals who need to discover their message and story, deliver it clearly, succinctly, and confidently, and present in a way that intrigues, entertains and keeps the audience’s attention. Share it with your friends in health care. Check it out even if you’re not in health care. The tips and tricks are universal. Click here to learn more.

P.P.P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are three more ways I can help you build your brand, own your voice, and stand out:

  1. Want more tactical advice you can implement today? Check out my blog here for great articles, stories, and lessons I’ve shared over the years.
  2. Looking for one-on-one coaching or a consultation with me? Schedule a complimentary call here to speak to our team about how we can help you.
  3. Follow me on Instagram here for more media and public speaking tips, videos… and a little fun.

Why public speaking is the most important skill you need

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The skill is public speaking.

When Warren Buffett went to college, he avoided all classes that would require public speaking. He was terrified of it! When he graduated, he realized his fear of public speaking was killing his ability to move up in his career.

My public speaking course was arguably the best investment I made in my life. – Warren Buffett

In an Inc.com article, the billionaire investor was quoted as saying:

“Now, you can improve your value by 50 percent just by learning communication skills–public speaking.” – Warren Buffett

Richard Branson agrees. In a Virgin blog post, he said:

“Communication is the most important skill any leader can possess.” 

“Today, if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you also have to be a storyteller… It is not enough to create a great product; you also have to work out how to let people know about it.” 

 

Why are these skills so sought after?

1: Professional Growth:

Public speaking and knowing how to communicate help professionals motivate change, influence decisions, and form connections.

Great public speakers master the art of influence and leadership. This is a classic guide that all public speakers should read. You must be able to effectively communicate with not only your boss – but your colleagues and employees.

2: Gaining Trust:

Leaders who INSPIRE are trusted by their employees. Leaders with communication and public speaking skills have a much easier time influencing their co-workers. This will also help make projects run seamlessly.

3: Personal Growth:

Public speaking will help you increase your confidence level. If you can get up in front of a crowd – you can ask for a raise, inspire your employees, have more successful dates – even be more successful and happy at home.

Ryan Laverty is the Founder and CEO at SpeakOut. He smartly teaches his clients that, “Confidence helps everyone meet new people, manage stress, and stand up to even the harshest of criticism.”

This new confidence will help you meet new people, manage stress better, and stand up for yourself!to even the harshest of criticism.

Public speaking and communication abilities are an incredible asset even for professionals not in leadership roles.

If you feel like you have big reasons that are holding you back – don’t be afraid.

If you just have PASSION about your job, story, message, background, or the reason you want to help others – I can help you.

MY passion is helping others. I teach my clients how to improve their self-confidence and speak on stage, in front of small groups or in the media.

If you would like help, please book a free consultation with me here. Also, join our Facebook community for lots of free public speaking and media tips.

It’s never too late.

Kathryn Janicek | Media Coach, Producer, Public Speaking Trainer
Kathryn Janicek is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms across the country. Kathryn coached talent, producers, and writers before switching her focus on helping entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Now, based in her home city of Chicago, she is a much sought-after media coach and public speaking trainer who will help you produce the best YOU. Click HERE now to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation with Kathryn!

This May Offend You… But If You’re Doing It, You Are Offending Potential Customers

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My husband and I closed on a home a few weeks ago. We lost it at first, but the sale ended up going through. You can learn from what happened to us. Here’s what you can do so you don’t let a sale slip through your fingers.

For the past two weeks, I’ve hosted all kinds repairmen (they were all guys, not being sexist) and salespeople to give us quotes on everything from windows to a new lawn.

Overwhelmingly, I found that companies need to get serious about something they’re probably too afraid to address.

I’m not afraid.

So today, we’re getting serious about stink.

I know… it’s tough to talk about. You may have a co-worker who wears WAY too much cologne or perfume — or an employee who smokes what smells like a pack of cigs right before every meeting. It’s something you HAVE to talk about. Especially if you have salespeople. Which we all are, right? No matter what you do for a company – you’re selling that brand.

Tuesday, there was the guy from a hugely popular appliance store in the Chicago area who showed up wearing what smelled like a bottle of cologne.

Later that afternoon, a plumber came in smelling like he was STILL smoking. It was oozing out of his pores.

This is a big deal. You may have a client who won’t want to work with your company again because of that one representative.

You may not close a deal because a company won’t want to work with the “stinky perfume lady”.

This is not off the table to talk about with your employees or to even address in an employee guide along with wardrobe. It’s a piece of public speaking and sales that cannot be ignored.

I talk more about it here:

Do you have a media or public speaking question you’d like addressed? Join me live every Thursday at 1pm central on Facebook for new topics and live Q&A.

Kathryn Janicek | Media Coach, Producer, Public Speaking Trainer
Kathryn Janicek is a three-time Emmy Award-winning television producer with 20 years of experience working in newsrooms across the country. Kathryn coached talent, producers, and writers before switching her focus on helping entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Now, based in her home city of Chicago, she is a much sought-after media coach and public speaking trainer who will help you produce the best YOU. Click HERE now to book a complimentary 30 minute consultation with Kathryn!

Check out my IG @kathrynjanicek