Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

426: Use These 3 Behaviors to Instantly Charm the Most Powerful Person in the Room

Jun 27, 2025

Discover how to charm even the most intimidating executives with just three surprising behaviors inspired by Keanu Reeves. Learn to command attention without words and use hand gestures to keep the floor in meetings. Adopting a light, playful tone can melt tension and build instant likability. This guide is perfect for introverts seeking to influence with authenticity rather than sheer confidence. Explore strategies for handling disagreements and engaging powerful stakeholders with ease.

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ANECDOTE

Freezing Under Pressure Anecdote

Laura Camacho shares how she froze answering a simple coffee order, illustrating how introverts' minds can go blank under pressure.
This moment contrasts with high-stakes meetings where speaking up is much harder but necessary.

INSIGHT

Disagreement Fuels Innovation

Disagreements are valuable and essential to avoid groupthink and foster innovation.
Introverts often avoid disagreement due to discomfort but learning to disagree respectfully enhances leadership.

ADVICE

Four-Step Disagreement Framework

When disagreeing, first restate the other person's point to confirm understanding and lower defenses.
Then highlight any gaps with data or insight before offering your refined solution and asking, "What do you think?"

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What if you could win over even the most intimidating executive—not with more words, but with less?

In this episode of Speak Up, communication strategist Laura Camacho breaks down three surprising behaviors inspired by Keanu Reeves that introverts can use to command attention and build trust, especially in high-stakes settings. If you’ve ever felt like confidence is out of reach in the boardroom, this is for you.

By the end of this short episode you'll know:

🎶A Surprising way to command attention without saying a word

🧩How hand gestures not only hold attention—but keep you from being interrupted

🚀 How adopting a light, playful tone that melts tension and builds instant likability, even with senior leaders.

Press play now to discover how introverts can use charm—not confidence—to influence any room with ease and authenticity.

To chat with Laura to see if her Executive Presence Mastery System is right for you click here.

FREE GIFT!! Download my The Practical Guide to Effective Communication here (retails for $9.99 on Amazon!) and read chapter 6 all about choosing the emotion you want others to feel around you.

Getting the emotional aspect of your presentation or message down means you are valued, heard and respected in meetings, gaining more influence, and understanding better how to reach key stakeholders. The truth is we make decisions based on emotions and then rationalize them with logic.

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.