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. in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.

I'm Tom Henschel, your executive coach, and today we're talking about becoming more expressive.

Randall looked like a marine recruiting poster. In his 40s he still had the firm body that had made him a high school football star.

Close cropped blonde hair and piercing blue eyes set off his handsome face.

In front of a room he looked commanding until he began to speak.

His voice was almost completely devoid of inflection. His words came out at a comfortable pace, but then they never altered.

His attractive face became an unexpressive mask. His whole demeanor lacked variety. It was no wonder people were having trouble

listening to him. Randall recognized the problem and asked me to help. Having brought video equipment,

I asked him to make a mock presentation and focus on only one thing,

exaggerate everything he did. For five minutes I hounded Randall.

Bigger, broader, raise your eyebrow, smile, talk higher, talk lower.

As he made a particularly broad gesture, I asked, you feel embarrassed?

I feel like a fool, he grimaced keep it up I said it's just us really go for it

I let him go another minute before I let him stop with a groan of relief he sat down as I turned on the tape. He couldn't believe what he saw.

In spite of having felt so foolish, in spite of having pushed himself into such discomfort,

the man on the screen was not at all grotesque or exaggerated.

In truth, on tape he wasn't all that different from his normal style of presenting.

Randall wasn't just shocked. He was disheartened. He doubted he'd ever be able to improve.

When I was young, certain trucks were made with governors installed on their engines.

Governors regulated the engines so the trucks wouldn't exceed specified limits.

Randall was discovering he had governors of his own.

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