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Stop Pitching. Start Quantifying.
No one buys an idea unless they see what’s in it for them. It’s why so many great ideas die in conference rooms, buried under polite nods and parking-lot comments like “Let’s revisit this next quarter.” It’s not that your idea wasn’t good. It’s that you didn’t make the value visible. When leaders quantify the…
Read MoreAre You DeckPendent?
We all know the signs. The leader who can’t seem to think except through slides. The team that measures progress in deck length. The meeting that dies by bullet point. But what if (gasp) you’re part of the problem? Give yourself some grace. DeckPendency isn’t a character flaw. It’s a corporate reflex. The habits we…
Read MoreMake the Environment Your Ally
The Setting Sets the Tone Some presenters obsess over slides. Others over scripts. But before your first word reaches the audience, something else already has their attention: the environment. This is the story of one intrepid leader who un-stuck a stalled deal, not by changing her message, but by changing the medium that delivered it.…
Read MoreOrchestrate Your Next Presentation
*Taps stand. Raises wand. Inhales… The sonata is one of the most dramatic and influential song patterns in history. Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and so many others composed sonatas that remain instantly recognizable and timelessly relevant. At its core, the sonata is a three-part form designed not just to display technical skill, but to move the…
Read MoreMost Presentations Don’t Need Slides.
The Issue? It’s in Tense. The “present” (noun) is another word for “now.” To be “present” (adjective) is to exist in that very same now. To “present” (verb) is to make something exist to others. To give someone a “present” (noun) is a gift. The problem with most presentations? Thanks to decks, people giving them…
Read MoreBreaking Free from Deck Addiction
Why Are We Addicted to Decks? The lights dim. The projector hums. A leader stands at the front of the room, advancing slide after slide. Each is dense with words, charts, and bullets. She reads them dutifully, her eyes on the screen instead of the people in front of her. The audience follows for a…
Read MorePeer Pressure? Just say no to slides.
It happens to the best of us. Friday morning. Coffee in hand. You’re finally catching up on real work. Then a coworker sends a Teams message: “Hey, you know how the investors are coming Monday? Could you throw together a few slides about [that thing you worked on last month]?” And just like that, you’re…
Read MoreStay Vigilant.
The Day Slides Betrayed Me We drove back to the office in silence. The twelve miles stretched forever. My teammates rode beside me like kettlebells. Stubborn, bruised, heavy. I gripped the steering wheel, trying not to rip it from the column, and counted my breaths to repress what had just happened. My body was buzzing…
Read MoreThe Three Levels of Storytelling Every Leader Must Master
Anecdote vs. Story vs. Narrative “Storytelling” is everywhere in business. These days it seems everyone claims to be doing it. But much of what passes for “story” is really just an anecdote. Or worse, a lifeless recap of data disguised with charts and stock photos. (But you already feel that way about decks, or you…
Read MoreStory is Our Meaning-Making Engine
A Scene from the Harris Household When my kids were little, movie night was a sacred ritual (still is). Popcorn in mismatched bowls, everyone in pajamas, the lights low, and a well-worn DVD spinning in the player. We had our rotation: The films they loved and the ones I was willing to watch 57 times…
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