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

leading with your heart. William is President of International Finance for a Global Financial Organization.

He was proud to tell me he'd been invited by his alma mater to give the keynote address

at a prestigious alumni career forum. While he and I were brainstorming ideas for the speech,

William said he'd like to talk about a professor who'd had a profound impact on him.

As he told me about this influential man, William choked up with emotion. Being highly analytical

and used to having control over his emotions, this surprised and unsettled him, he quickly

changed the subject.

Later in the session he mentioned this professor again and again his throat constricted and

his voice quavored.

He clamped down and said, well, I guess I won't be talking about that. When I asked him why not he said, well, I guess I won't be talking about that.

When I asked him why not, he said, well, I certainly don't want to get choked up in front

of a thousand alumni.

Oh, yes, you do do I said.

Over our next few sessions, William and I engaged in a surprisingly passionate debate over the

impact he might have if he displayed genuine emotion while standing in front of a thousand strangers.

He felt strongly that showing emotions on the stage would make him vulnerable and ineffective.

I agreed that yes displaying emotions might make him feel vulnerable, but that that same openness

would inspire and move people.

However, I said, if he covered his emotions over, people might hear him, but they would never feel him.

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