Unleash Your BS (Best Self)

Putting Your Executive Presence to the Test

Jeff Black, Carol Hamilton, Kimberly Faith Madden

• Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781630473587
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Leadership
• Index: Business

Guidance on how to strengthen managerial and business communication skills from an executive leadership consultant. Based on a corporate crisis ripped from today's headlines, Unleash Your BS (Best Self) tells the tale of Fortune 500 managers who are suddenly facing a post-merger downsizing. With their careers hanging in the balance, they are dropped into a leadership and communications training program that will either leave them in charge... or leave them behind. JT Black, the independent consultant known for his entertaining style and powerful results, is assigned the task of developing their leadership finesse, executive presence, and communication skills. In other words, cajoling them to lead and be heard. Unleash Your BS is for every manager ready to rise to the next level of his or her leadership. Whether you're in a volatile work environment or are gearing up for your next promotion, this book offers concrete techniques for enhancing your executive presence and strengthening your personal brand. "A refreshing story that captures how his Executive Presence Program is delivered. Jeff Black has had a remarkable impact on my career." —Bill Collins, Vice President, American Airlines "A powerful tool for any professional looking to elevate Executive Presence in the workplace and beyond." —Renee Cutright, Vice President, Human Resources Nielsen "A dynamic and fun manual for staging effective communications!" —Dr. Shue-Jane Thompson, Director, Performance Excellence, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Act 1: Scene I

A TALE OF TWO COMPANIES

The audience sat in thick silence as the paperwork was passed from Tom Harris, CEO of Massive Industries to Yuan Luo, CEO of Cascade Corporation. Eight months of labored negotiations led to this single moment…this last dotted line, and too much was riding on the merger for anyone to risk breathing.

Slowly picking up a pen, Yuan allowed himself an extra moment in the spotlight. His retirement began with this final act on behalf of Cascade, and he felt a wave of nostalgia as he poised his hand to sign himself out.

Cascade Corporation was an international manufacturer that employed thousands. Yuan had been at the helm for the past twenty years and was responsible for the company’s profound growth. Today, Cascade was becoming a subsidiary of Massive Industries, a conglomerate five times its size. Between them, the two companies had an impressive one hundred thirty years of service. However, as every critic had already pointed out, merging corporate cultures wasn’t going to be easy, and in the end, no one was sure how this giant hybrid would work out.

Yuan looked over at Tom one last time and then completed his trademark signature. Instantly, the stockholders erupted into thunderous applause, the lawyers exhaled, and the management on both sides felt chills race down their spines.

Kelly entered Tom’s office wearing her first smile since the announcement of the merger. “He’s available,” she announced as she dropped onto the nearest chair. Noting Tom’s puzzled expression, she explained, “JT, the executive branding expert I mentioned to you. He just called to say he’s ready to begin hosting executive presence programs for all of our managers at his retreat center.”

Leaning back in his chair, Tom looked at the ceiling as if scanning his brain for information. Coming up dry, he turned to Kelly, “Remind me again what this guy’s story is.”

“Sure,” Kelly answered, sitting up. “JT is the guy I saw several years ago. He’s…” Kelly paused, trying to find the words to explain this unique man who had since become a dear friend, “…I guess the best way to describe him is engaging—and certainly entertaining—but underneath his light-hearted delivery is a very real depth of expertise on this topic.”

Kelly clearly remembered the first time she’d seen JT present.

Walking to the front of the room, JT’s tailored appearance and confident stride could easily have led someone to assume he was one of the leaders from the audience. But JT quickly set himself apart when he posed the question, “How many of you came here expecting a lot of depth, substance, and expertise on this career-changing topic, executive presence?” As several hands went up in the air, he’d proclaimed, “Those of you expecting a lot of depth all need to lower your expectations because I don’t have very much. But I do have style.”

Smiling, Kelly looked up to see Tom waiting for the rest of her story.

“The program begins with a pre-course survey on executive presence that gets everyone thinking about the subject.¹ The course itself is based on an interactive quiz regarding specific communication tools and incorporates multiple practice sessions with feedback for each participant,” she explained.

Kelly paused, searching for a way to convey how powerful she felt this program was. “His techniques are deceptively simple, and yet exponentially enhance anyone’s executive presence. Afterwards, everyone in the room finds him- or herself far more confident in building and giving presentations, networking, and even delivering difficult news.”

Unconsciously scratching her head as she recalled the transformations she’d seen and personally experienced, she added, “This program is the best I’ve seen, and I’ve been in this business for a long time. As for his off-site location, it’s a great fit for team-building.”

“And how exactly do you see this playing into our situation?” Tom inquired.

“Well, we have two teams of leadership merging where there’s only room for one. By putting each executive through a session of this program and observing who soars, we’ll get to pick the cream of the crop for our new team, which serves us tremendously.” Tom nodded in agreement but remained solemn, knowing soon they’d be forced to relinquish a lot of very talented people.

In an effort to lighten Tom’s load, Kelly added, “As a side benefit, we’ll also be giving each of them the opportunity to develop their professional skills, and that’s something they’ll have…wherever they end up working.”

Recognizing that this program had promise, Tom stood up and instructed Kelly to proceed. Then locking eyes, he reminded her, “There’s a lot at stake.”

“Yes, there certainly is.” Kelly quietly agreed as she left Tom’s office.

1 Scan this QR code to take the Black Sheep Executive Presence pre-course survey.

Act 1: Scene II

THE PARTICIPANTS ARRIVE

The setting chosen for their training surprised the program participants. Rather than being pent up in a company conference room, they were sent off-site to a private oceanfront retreat designed to help attendees unwind. Upon arrival they were each given a tour and then instructed to do their utmost to unplug during the training. The next morning, they found water pitchers and note pads laid out on the expansive dining table in the Great Room.

Andrei arrived first and settled in to the right of the head of the table. Soon after, Ron entered the room, thus confirming what Andrei had already suspected—this “training” was useless to him. None of these attendees, even those from Massive, would have the power to further his career. Sighing at this obvious waste of his time, he returned to his computer.

Though no one had told Ron directly, he was convinced this training would determine his future. Nervously, he poured his third cup of coffee and silently wondered if his glass ceiling was made of cement. Neither of them looked at each other as he placed himself several chairs down from Andrei.

Laleh entered the room laughing into her phone and walking at the pace of youth. As a member of the training and learning team, it was in her job description to attend a variety of training sessions and she loved every minute of it. Without hanging up, she nodded politely to her silent coworkers, set her things down at the far end of the table, and then stepped to the window to watch a pelican hunt for its breakfast.

The room was still quiet when Ann’s purposeful footsteps announced her arrival. Known for getting results from her team, Ann had thought her leadership style was appreciated until she’d received the order to attend this training. Few things annoyed her more than unnecessary training, but Ann was far too politically correct to ever have spoken her frustration out loud. Primly, she seated herself next to Andrei, straightened the pen and pad on the table in front of her, and then folded her arms tightly across her chest.

As the Massive managers busied themselves, the door blew open, rattling in its hinges. Startled, all heads turned toward the noise where they discovered a man the size of a Grizzly bear filling the threshold.

David paused long enough in the doorway to assess the room and its occupants. Satisfied there was no imminent danger, he directed his Cascade colleagues to the left side of the table.

Tensions had run high between the management teams of the merging companies, as it was clear there wasn’t room for everyone from both corporations. Taking them out for a private breakfast, David had done all he could to assure his fellow Cascadians their positions would not be filled by Mass-holes (as they’d all enjoyed calling them). He intentionally positioned himself to sit directly across from Andrei, a man David had heard enough about to be wary of, though the two had never met. Andrei closed his computer and observed David’s every move. Andrei’s research had revealed David to be the only serious threat to his ambitions, so he saw today as an opportunity to establish his place as leader of the pack.

Al sat down on David’s left, and all he could hear was the voice in his head asking if it was time to retire. Over and over, he pictured his Lazy Boy and wondered if he really wanted to deal with all this change. He shook his head and looked down at his hands, avoiding any eye contact with the Mass-holes.

Ajay sat down with a smile planted on his face to cover his horror at the situation. It had been such a short time since he’d tied his future to Cascade. Now, he was sitting in a room waiting to participate in a battle that would determine whether or not he kept his work visa. He had nodded his greeting to each of the Massive managers rather than shaking their hands, so no one would notice his sweaty palms.

Mizuki sat in her chair with wide eyes, nervously shaking her foot. For the past year, her career had taken her on a dizzying roller coaster ride. She had no idea what to expect from this training, much less the merger, her order…it was all so surreal—at this point, she did little but worry about what might be next.

Act 1: Scene III

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE
BY DEFINITION

As he prepared to begin the session, JT noticed the unusually large number of corporate logos adorning all of the participants’ clothes, pens, and notebooks. The group on the right side of the table paid homage to the bold badge of Massive Industries; while the left side displayed the waterfall emblem used by Cascade Incorporated. Between the logos and the way they’d seated themselves to face off across the table, JT knew he had his work cut out for him.

“How many of you came here expecting a lot of depth, substance, and expertise on this career-changing topic, executive presence?” JT asked, lobbing his favorite opening line into the charged atmosphere. Three participants’ hands went up while the rest sat with arms welded across their chests.

“Those of you expecting a lot of depth all need to lower your expectations because I don’t have very much. But I do have style,” he said with a flourish.

As expected, some allowed themselves a small smile, but most offered only stony silence. “So tell me…what you were thinking when you heard you’d been ‘invited’ to training?” JT challenged in his slowest southern drawl.

This time, the group remained silent. No one was even willing to make eye contact. Only the seagulls chose to laugh.

Undeterred, JT continued, “Was it something like, ‘Yahoo, executive presence…lucky me?’”

“I can’t use the words,” Al, the gruff plant manager from Cascade, growled. The group chuckled tensely and nodded their heads in agreement. Al was a stocky, fifty-something guy who looked like he could take on any situation the Cascade manufacturing community could throw at him. Despite the joke, his face and tone reflected his annoyance at being held hostage in this trivial program.

“Thanks, Al,” JT responded with a laugh while pounding his hand on his heart. “I appreciate that. The rest of you will be getting out early while Al stays late.”

Despite the light-hearted moment, the tension was still thick in the room, so JT continued to prod. “What else did you think? All day and travel time away from your busy, busy schedules.…”

“It’s hard to keep up with the operation,” carped Ron from Massive.

“I agree,” Ann, Ron’s colleague, said between clenched teeth.

“The worst part,” Ron continued, “is that it doesn’t matter who was delegated to do your work, it’s still on your head. Your bosses don’t care if you’re gone and some idiot drops the ball. You still have to babysit everything.”

JT knew this was often the case and did his best to reassure all of them by saying, “I understand, and I’ll give you as many breaks as I can today so you can check in. Okay, anything else—good or bad—that you thought when you heard training?” He pushed again.

“Well, to put this into context, understand that I’m in the Massive training and leadership development division,” Laleh offered. “So my thought was, this must be an extraordinary program for the company to invest this much time and talent for us.” Looking around at all of her fellow participants, she added, “I also thought this must have tremendous executive sponsorship.” All eyes were on Laleh as she hinted about the elephant in the room.

Silence fell again as each of them considered the company’s motives for giving this program such heavy support and why they had been chosen to participate. “Great point, Laleh, let’s talk about that for a moment,” JT suggested. “Why do you think you were the ones chosen to be here today?”

Instantly the pulse of the room amplified. Though each of them knew why, none wanted to admit it out loud.

JT waited.

Suddenly Ann burst out, “We’re here to compete for our jobs.”

“I can see why you think ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Preface By Jeff Black
• The Cast
• Character Descriptions
• Act 1
• Act 2
• Act 3
• Act 4
• Act 5
• Act 6
• Act 7
• Act 8
• Act 9
• Act 10
• Act 11
• Act 12
• Epilogue