What do you say when you’re given just six minutes to speak—and the room is full of mayors, councillors, and senior government leaders?
You don’t wing it.
You rehearse like a pro. You refine your message. You work with someone who knows how to make every word land.
That’s exactly what one senior executive—a CEO leading a $1B+ infrastructure operation in New Zealand (Aotearoa)—chose to do.
He came to me with a high-stakes challenge: deliver a short, sharp keynote at a national event where expectations were high and tensions even higher. The Prime Minister had just addressed the room. The message had to resonate. There was no second take.
Over the course of six one-hour sessions, we worked together behind the scenes, crafting a powerful message built around a core leadership theme: be brave, ignore the noise, and run toward progress.
But crafting the message was just the beginning.
What followed was the real work—developing performance precision using the 12 Charismatic Leadership Tactics (CLTs), a research-backed framework shown to increase perceived leadership by up to 60%.* These tactics—drawn from political science and psychology—include:
- Using metaphors, stories, and contrast
- Delivering with an animated voice, expressive facial gestures, and confident body language
- Reflecting the moral conviction and shared sentiment of the audience
Together, we rehearsed how to shift tone at just the right moment. How to bring emotional weight to the story of a regional infrastructure project. How to signal confidence, clarity, and conviction in only six minutes.
The results?
“Smashed it,” he messaged after the talk.
“Had some mayors quite emotional… the messaging was exactly what they and the councillors needed.”
This wasn’t about helping someone find their voice. It was about helping a capable leader amplify it—at scale.
A few weeks later, we collaborated again—this time for a graduation keynote in front of an audience of over 8,000 people at one of New Zealand’s top universities. Feedback from attendees was unequivocal:
“The best they’ve had.”
We’re used to thinking of speaker coaching as something reserved for TEDx hopefuls or presentation-phobic professionals. But that’s changing. Fast.
More and more, high-performing CEOs and senior leaders are recognising that how they deliver their message matters as much as what they say. Because influence isn’t just earned by strategy—it’s embodied in the room.
And in today’s environment, that room might be physical, virtual, or broadcast across the country.
🎯 Why CEOs Are Stepping Up Their Communication Game
- Visibility is influence. Whether it's a boardroom, a media interview, or a national event, leaders are always "on".
- Pressure reveals the cracks. Shorter talks and tougher audiences mean the margin for error is razor thin.
- Charisma can be taught. Research shows that the right coaching can dramatically elevate how a leader is perceived—without changing who they are.
The CEOs I work with aren’t trying to be flashy. They’re trying to be clear. Compelling. Conviction-led.
They know that charisma isn’t a divine gift. It’s a learned leadership skill—and one worth mastering.
💬 Final Thought
If you’re a senior leader preparing for a high-stakes talk—or you want your message to cut through the noise—it might be time to step behind the curtain and sharpen the most powerful leadership tool you have:
Your voice.
Let’s talk.
*Inspired by the research of Antonakis, Fenley, & Liechti (University of Lausanne)
*“Learning Charisma,” Harvard Business Review
