I made a decision this morning to listen only to people who speak with gravitas. The last couple days I have been watching the news on CBS This Morning. Yesterday Samantha Powers sat with the CBS This Morning hosts, Charlie Rose, Nora O’Donnell and Gayle King. Ms. Powers is the outgoing US Ambassador to…
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Meryl Streep just modeled how to use a speech platform as a bully pulpit. Watch her use her acceptance speech for a life time achievement award to speak truth to power. What a beautiful way to lead her community and us as a nation to unity. She embodies gravitas.
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Recently, I wrote my most revealing article about the Sandra Zimmer Method to overcome public speaking fear and stage fright. A Presentation Guru Requests an Article The Commissioning Editor of Presentation-Guru.com, Jared Senseman, emailed to ask if I would write an article about my approach. Jared said Presentation-Guru was looking for unique approaches that help people speak and present more effectively.…
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About Gravitas Gravitas is about using your personal power in service to others and giving up the pleasure of asserting your power with a sharp voice tone. J.S. contacted me and shared that he is strong technically, reports to the highest leaders in his company and gets great feedback that his expertise is valuable. He has…
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(Graphic by Vector Graphics) Public speaking and presentation clients sometimes ask me how to handle hostile audiences. Frankly, I think people project more negativity onto audiences than is really there. Never the less, it is important to learn to stand openly before a group that includes people who may be judging, disagreeing or criticizing. I have…
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Gravitas is a power that comes from inner authority to express your wisest thoughts for the good of the whole group. Gravitas commands attention, respect and admiration, not because it is flashy, but because it is wise and thoughtful. Introducing a Cultivate Gravitas for Leadership Presence Course who want to learn to exude more gravitas in…
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Obstacles to exuding the quality of gravitas are some of the greatest psychological barriers that leaders and emerging leaders must conquer. Briefly, I’ll mention what leadership presence or gravitas means. It is giving weight or importance to anything you say or do. Gravitas is the highest octave of self-confidence. Once a leader has enough self-confidence,…
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Rashid Kapadia, a former student and now my great friend, is an evangelist for public speaking. Rashid is an avid reader who is masterful at drawing out public speaking and presentation lessons from all kinds of books. His latest blog post brilliantly recalls how Susan B. Anthony led the United States towards social and political equality through…
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I have been selling my group speaking, voice and leadership presence courses and coaching for decades, longer than some of you may have been alive. If you ask me what my secret is, I will tell you it is the power that comes when I detach from the outcome during a sales conversation. Detaching from the outcome means…
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Stage fright is life fright. It is fear of feeling in front of other human beings. Stage fright exists in us because we can’t relax and accept what is happening in the now moment. We are resisting the feelings and thoughts that are occurring now as we get ready to speak up, speak out or…
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