Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

520: Not Everyone Has What It Takes to Go From Underestimated To Indispensable Executive Leader

Jan 16, 2026

Discover the crucial role of executive presence in career advancement. Laura Camacho contrasts two NHL players to illustrate how perception shapes leadership potential. She explains that raw talent may not be enough and introduces the concept of a 'talent stack' to enhance value in the workplace. Learn practical tips for developing your presence, like reading the room and managing energy. Uncover the subtle cues that can transform you from underestimated to an indispensable leader.

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ANECDOTE

Two NHL Careers Illustrate Presence

Laura Camacho compares two NHL players, Brent Burns and P.K. Subban, to illustrate how presence affects careers.
Burns was seen as reliable and stabilizing while Subban, despite more talent, was viewed as polarizing and harder to work with.

INSIGHT

Presence Multiplies Talent

Executive presence amplifies your skills and makes talent travel further in organizations.
Presence shapes how others experience you under pressure and whether they want to work with you.

INSIGHT

Talent Stack Beats Solo Excellence

A winning career comes from a 'talent stack' of complementary skills rather than a single elite ability.
Executive presence is the layer that lets that stack multiply value and be noticed by leaders.

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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.

Today we’re talking about something that quietly determines who rises and who stalls, even when talent is off the charts.

In this episode, Laura Camacho reveals the invisible edge that decides who rises and who stalls in their careers—even when raw talent isn’t the issue. Drawing from powerful contrasts between two elite NHL players, she breaks down the often-overlooked factor that shapes how others perceive your leadership and potential.

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

🔥The subtle cues that signal executive presence to senior leaders

🦄 Why raw talent without presence can actually limit your career trajectory

🧲 How to develop your talent stack to multiply the value you offer to any organization

Press play to learn the mindset shift and communication tweaks that will help you become not just impressive—but indispensable.

You could have a talent-stack problem. And the missing layer might be executive presence.

If you want help building that layer—strategically, without burning out—check out the Executive Presence Scorecard to help you identify your executive presence strengths and weaknesses by emailing me at hello@speakupwithlaura.com with “score” in the subject line.

The late Scott Adams developed the “talent stack” concept in this book: How to Fail at Almost Anything and Still Win. In it Adams explains that career success rarely comes from being world-class at one thing. Instead, it comes from stacking multiple above-average skills—and letting their combination create a rare, hard-to-replicate advantage.

To learn more about executive coaching and workshops 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.