Welcome back to the Look and Sound of Leadership, an ongoing series of

executive coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the

way you want to be perceived. I'm Tom Henschel, your executive coach,

and today we're talking about animating your persona.

Melinda called asking if she could pick my brain about a woman she was coaching.

I was a big fan of Melinda's.

I thought she was a powerful consultant and coach.

We had collaborated on many projects over the years. We knew each

other well and we loved to talk shop. She said, this woman's super smart and

super introverted. I mean off the charts introverted.

Not surprisingly, her boss is pushing hard for her to have a bigger presence.

I thought you'd have some exercises I could use to help her.

I said, and the goal of these exercises would be that for her to have a bigger presence?

Right, she said.

I asked, have you ever done any visualization work with her?

No, I haven't, she said, but I think she'd be up for it.

Do you have something?

I do, I said.

I call it animating your persona. I use it when clients want to think differently about

some part of themselves. That sounds great for her, she said. Can you explain it to me?

I was excited to talk about this with her.

I said, oh good, well, first there's a backstory.

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