Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

459: Catapult Your Charisma with Compliments that Don’t Sound Fake (But Get Remembered)

Sep 12, 2025

Discover how genuine compliments can elevate your executive presence and leadership skills. Learn about three high-impact ways to compliment others that enhance your charisma and authority. Avoid common pitfalls that could sabotage your efforts. Unleash the power of deep observation as an introvert to influence effectively without being the loudest voice in the room. A small compliment shift can make a big impact on how you’re perceived in the workplace.

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INSIGHT

Compliments Signal Leadership Insight

Sincere compliments reveal your insight into someone's actual contribution and signal readiness for executive roles.
Introverts can leverage deep observation to craft compliments that demonstrate emotional intelligence and analytical ability.

ADVICE

Avoid Shallow Or Vague Praise

Avoid appearance-based compliments except with very close friends because they can feel shallow or risky.
Also avoid vague praise like "great job" when you want to be memorable and build presence.

ADVICE

Praise The Effort You Observe

Praise effort specifically by acknowledging thinking, dedication, or conscientiousness.
Use examples like meeting tight deadlines or careful slide design to make praise meaningful.

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To see if Laura’s Executive Presence Mastery System 90-day coaching intensive is right for you, set up a strategy call here.

Are your compliments building your leadership brand—or quietly sabotaging it?

If you're an introvert trying to lead, influence, or rise into executive roles, you may already have a powerful tool at your disposal—and you're likely underusing it. Today’s episode explores how the right kind of compliments can become your secret weapon for commanding respect, building trust, and boosting your executive presence.

By the end of today’s episode you’ll know:

🔥Three types of high-impact compliments that instantly increase your charisma and authority.

😥Two common compliment types to avoid—they’re doing you more harm than good.

🧲How to use your natural introvert superpower—deep observation—to influence without being the loudest in the room.

Press play to learn how one small shift in how you compliment others can dramatically elevate your executive presence and leadership influence.

AND.. To see how you score in all the skills you need to reach that next step at work see my Executive Presence scorecard. It’s based on the 4 pillars in my Executive Presence Mastery System, designed to help you pinpoint what’s holding you back and what to focus on next to communicate with calm authority and charm everyone in the room.

Email me at hello@speakupwithlaura.com with “score” in the subject line and I’ll get that to you asap.

For more information visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. Our Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.