Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

479: Why Being the Smartest Person in the Room Won’t Get You to Senior Leadership Without THIS

Oct 29, 2025
Jimmy Burroughes, a former British Army officer turned performance leadership consultant, shares insights on breaking through communication barriers to enhance leadership impact. He highlights three invisible hurdles that even top performers face, and introduces his "Simplify to Amplify" method to boost team performance. Jimmy emphasizes the importance of clarity in communication, offering practical strategies for leaders to demonstrate readiness for promotion, build trust, and refocus on high-impact work rather than firefighting. A must-listen for anyone feeling stuck in their career!
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INSIGHT

Three Invisible Communication Barriers

  • Highly capable people know what good leadership communication looks like but fail to do it due to hidden barriers.
  • Jimmy identifies three barriers: imposter feelings, lack of psychological safety, and disengagement when speaking up produces no change.
ADVICE

Prepare For Clarity Before Speaking

  • Get crystal clear before you speak by answering: what, why, who, and desired outcome.
  • Use introversion as a strength: prepare offline so you communicate confidently in the moment.
ADVICE

Test Ideas With Small First Steps

  • When unsure, propose the smallest testable step that clarifies the path forward.
  • Frame your idea as one-tenth of the full plan to gain momentum and reduce risk.
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