I recently worked with a newly minted CEO who, faced with an upcoming presentation, worried about his “lack of charisma.” He was an engineer by training and an introvert who felt uncomfortable speaking in front of groups. One of the reasons he was chosen for his position was that he was considered a masterful listener. So we practiced bringing listening into his speaking. Soon he realized that his greatest strength as a speaker was not his ability to charm his audience, but his ability to pay attention to their needs. Employees walked away from his presentations motivated and “feeling understood.” This CEO may have lacked charisma, but he had a far more valuable skill: presence.
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