Blog - presence and presentation mastery by Eleni Kelakos

Coaching

Like Peas & Carrots, Speaking & Leading Go Together

One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “Do high-level leaders really need to be great speakers?” As a presence, presentation, and performance coach with over two decades of experience working with senior executives, my answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Like peas and carrots, speaking and leading go hand in hand. If you want to lead your team at the highest level, you must bring an equally high level of poise, presence, and performance to your communications. That said, the better question might be: “Are high-level leaders always great speakers?” My answer? “No.” The Reality of Leadership and Communication

January 17, 2025 No Comments

Peak Performance

Connect First, Speak Second

Tariq was next on the list to give a presentation during my day-long training. He was nervous but excited. As soon as his feet hit the podium, he began speaking, spitting out a barrage of words. Within thirty seconds, he was gasping for breath. Meanwhile, we, the audience, were struggling to keep up and connect with him. I stopped him mid-sentence. “Tariq,” I said, “I want you to stand in silence for a moment so you can get your adrenaline under control. Quietly observe the emotions you’re experiencing. Ground yourself by feeling the floor under your feet. Inhale … exhale.

January 10, 2025 No Comments

Company Growth

To Be A Better Leader, Be A Better Speaker

Ashok, a mid-level manager and new presence and presentation coaching client, shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “The problem,” he said, “is that in order to be promoted at my company, I need to be able to speak confidently in front of larger and larger groups. But even though I keep being offered opportunities to do it, I turn them down because I’m just so uncomfortable speaking in public. Last week, my boss suggested I give a presentation at a conference that’s coming up, to gain some visibility and credibility. But I found a way to squirm out of it, like

December 21, 2024 No Comments

Exciting Presentations

For Presentation Mastery, Sharpen The Saw

When I was cast in a production of Claire Booth Luce’s play The Women at the San Diego Repertory Theater, I learned a lesson that has stuck with me ever since. Our cast of about 20 incredible women was guided by the visionary director Anne Bogart. Over the month-long rehearsal period, we fine-tuned every movement and choice to bring the script to life in alignment with Anne’s creative vision. By opening night, our performances were consistent and solid. But as often happens in life and on stage, things started to shift once the guiding force—Anne—left to direct another play in

December 13, 2024 No Comments

Audience Connection

Create Your Last Lecture

Ron had a remarkable story. After buying and selling several successful businesses, he transitioned into consulting, eager to share the lessons he’d learned. However, his desire to create a signature keynote presentation left him stuck. “I can’t seem to pin down a specific topic,” Ron admitted during our first meeting. To help him break free, I asked a simple but profound question:“If you could only speak publicly one more time in your life, who would you want to speak to, and what’s the message you’d want to relay?” Without hesitation, Ron replied, “I’d want to speak to visionary business owners

December 6, 2024 No Comments

Interview Coaching

Job Interviews: Make a Positive First Impression

First Impressions Matter: Lessons from Two Job Seekers Making a strong first impression is critical, especially when you’re aiming for a leadership role. Let me introduce you to “Carl” and “Sandra,” two job seekers who taught me a lot about the power of presence and preparation. Carl: A Missed Opportunity Carl, a mid-level tech manager, reached out to me for help navigating job interviews. His frustration was clear: “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” he wrote. “I’ve been trying for over a year to move on to a position of higher leadership, and I have great qualifications. But I

November 15, 2024 No Comments

Audience Connection

5 Practices for Presence & Presentation Mastery

When it comes to presentations, how skilled are you at giving them? How activated and consistent is your Charismatic Presence, the magnetic life-force that draws people into you? No matter where you are in your journey as a speaker or communicator, you’re never truly “done.” There’s always room for improvement, and peak performers know that mastery is a lifelong pursuit. They understand the importance of stepping into discomfort again and again to grow beyond their current skill set. Think Like An Actor And Move Towards Mastery Adopting an actor’s mindset can be invaluable for your journey toward mastering presence and

October 25, 2024 No Comments

Audience Connection

Giving an Introduction? Get it Right!

Have you ever found yourself tasked with introducing a speaker or dignitary before they step onto the stage to deliver a speech or receive an award? The pressure to “get it right” in these situations can be overwhelming when all eyes are on you. It is especially nerve-wracking when you are faced with names or phrases that are difficult to pronounce—something many of us can relate to. Take Vice President Kamala Harris, for example. Despite her nieces demonstrating how to pronounce her name during the Democratic National Convention—“Kama” like “comma” and “La” like “La La La”—mispronunciations still occur. It’s a

October 11, 2024 No Comments

Audience Connection

Kick Off Your Presentations With a Bang!

The Importance of a Strong Opening In a business pitch workshop I recently conducted, I observed a common challenge faced by many presenters: capturing the audience’s attention right from the start. David, one of the participants, struggled with this while presenting his product—a clever device that prevents electrical cords from tangling. Despite its simplicity and potential value, David’s delivery fell flat. His lengthy introduction and lack of focus lost the audience’s interest almost immediately. I decided to step in. “David,” I said, “there’s a way to make your point simply, quickly, and compellingly. Let me demonstrate.” I grabbed a tangled

September 27, 2024 No Comments