LeBron James & Kobe Bryant’s Coach on Winning a Pitch

Mike Krzyzewsky (widely know as ‘Coach K’) long time head coach of Duke University men’s basketball team, and prior head coach of the USA men’s Olympic basketball team – and arguably The Greatest Of All-Time (GOAT) USA college, basketball coach – has some sage advice for those of you who are leading a pitch team. (Contained in the below 25:05 minute interview with David Rubenstein).

Coach K has coached LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and other luminary NBA (National Basketball Association) stars.

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How Gen. Colin POWELL projects CERTAINTY when he communicates

In my One-on-One Leadership communication training work, the most bang-for-time activity is drilling the

Message, Flesh-out the message, Repeat the message (MFR) schema.

The schema has many applications; from introducing yourself at a networking function, to delivering a boardroom pitch, to giving a message to a colleague in your office. Using the schema well, will help you communicate your ideas and vision with confidence and certainty.

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5 top tips for PRESENTING to your BOARD

Following on from last week’s post about My simple process on how not to get interrupted when presenting to senior executives, here are five tips to prepare for you next Leadership Team or Board presentation.

1. Think of developing relationship with the senior executives, not as a presentation to them.

2. You will be judged. Acknowledge that and step up to meet that challenge.

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My simple process to AVOID being INTERRUPTED

A number of my mid-level, executive clients are frustrated when delivering important presentations to their Leadership Team or Board.

They’re frustrated because soon after they start speaking, a member of the Leadership team or Board often interrupts them.

This interruption interferes with their speaking flow, and then a free flowing discussion between the leaders in the room occurs, leaving the presenter stranded and often resulting in deferring a decision on the matter at hand to a later time.

Innumerable hours of time are lost, due to these interruptions.

and it can take months before a final decision is made.

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How to communicate like DENIRO & PACINO

This 6:17 minute scene of Robert Deniro and Al Pacino, from the movie Heat is cinematic gold.  (I’m sure some of you know of it).

Watching it – will make you a better communicator – by osmosis. It’s riveting viewing.

It is so good, I feel reluctant to offer any analysis of it.

The main effect of the scene on me was how Deniro and Pacino don’t rush their lines. They ‘own’ time. They take extra seconds as needed, before responding to the other.

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