Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

490: The Harsh Reality of What It Takes for High Performers to Make It to Senior Leadership

Nov 24, 2025

Discover the crucial role of communication in climbing the corporate ladder. Learn why strong communication skills can be the key differentiator for senior leaders, regardless of one’s technical expertise. Explore common pitfalls that even brilliant individuals face during presentations and uncover three critical areas for improvement: clarity, structure, and emotional impact. Plus, hear about a client whose presentation tweak led to incredible new opportunities. It's time to transform your executive presence and visibility!

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INSIGHT

Communication Beats Pure Technical Brilliance

Top-tier communication, not just technical brilliance, determines senior leadership success.
It requires clarity, repeatability, and delivery that is easy to follow.

ANECDOTE

Invisible Labor Versus Vocal Visibility

Quiet high-performers often do invisible labor while louder colleagues build visible careers.
Hesitation in meetings lets extroverts grab the floor and credit.

INSIGHT

Top Leaders Pair Presence With Performance

Top-tier leaders combine executive presence with performance, making them highly sought after.
Communication becomes the make-or-break capability as roles become senior.

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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.

In this episode you’ll learn the harsh reality about top-tier communication skills without which your career will stall—no matter how brilliant you are.

This episode dives deep into the often invisible barrier keeping high-performing introverts from leadership roles: communication that lacks clarity, structure, and emotional resonance. If you've ever been told you “lack executive presence” without being told how to fix it, this episode is your roadmap.

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

😳Why the skills that got you here won’t get you to the next level and it doesn’t matter that your team adores you

🔥How one client landed a life-changing opportunity after one powerful tweak to his presentation

💰How top-tier communication (not top-tier work) becomes the make-or-break factor as you move up

If you would like FREE coaching for our episode #500 coming out December 17 send me your question, your first name, role and company to hello@speakupwithlaura.com.

If you're ready to be seen as the strategic leader you truly are, press play and learn how to master communication that commands attention in any room.

But what you really want is to finally be seen as the strategic leader you are... to speak with calm authority in high-stakes meetings... to stop feeling like the invisible expert in a sea of performers...

That’s exactly why I created the Executive Presence Mastery System—a 90-day intensive coaching program for brilliant, overlooked professionals who want to build undeniable visibility at the senior leadership level without becoming someone they’re not.

If that sounds like your next step, head to speakupwithlaura.com/speakup or hit the link in the show notes above. Book a strategy call, and we’ll map out exactly what’s been keeping you invisible—and how to shift from overlooked to undeniable.

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New 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.