Speaking as a Leader

Today’s multi-platform media environment creates unique issues whether you’re navigating a communications crisis or building your brand. When your audience is diverse—culturally, generationally, geographically, or philosophically—agility in messaging becomes even more important. Designed for professionals who seek to increase their influence, Communications for Leaders teaches disciplined communications strategies that can improve your performance in different contexts. Experience with social media is not required.

Program Format

Over 3 days you’ll learn from a mixture of lecture, class discussion, and interactive exercises. You’ll have opportunities to practice and refine public speaking skills, manage Q&A, address the media, and work through a crisis situation, ensuring you gain practice in working with course concepts.

Curriculum

As a leader, what you say can inspire, persuade, and influence when you embrace the opportunity to communicate with confidence and credibility. This program will enable you to command attention with confidence and clarity, tailor your message, answer tough questions from multiple sources, and define your public persona via social media.

Topics

Presenting with Power

• Prepare and present a 5 minute presentation on a topic related to your professional life for videotaping.
• Receive immediate feedback from faculty and cohort members.
• Watch videos of other leaders’ speeches to analyze self-perception versus audience perception of presentations.

Leading and Communicating Through Crisis

• Determine communication weak spots and how to protect your brand.
• Master how to prepare for and recover from a crisis.
• Rehearse how to control the media's agenda.
• Learn when and how to release negative information.
• Practice message discipline throughout your organization.
• Develop communications strategies for dealing with crises.

Embracing the Power of Social Media

• Which social media channels have the greatest ROI.
• Create a LinkedIn profile that sets you apart.
• Create relevant and engaging content for blogs and other outlets.
• Determine if your social media efforts are successful.
• Balance your online personal brand with your organization's brand.
• Review and analyze your online influence level.
• Position yourself as a thought leader through social media.

Answering the Tough Questions

• Prepare for media interviews or any difficult meeting where your leadership may be challenged.
• Develop and stay on message.
• Crowdsource questions.
• Handle difficult questions.

Program Objectives

At the conclusion of the program you’ll be able to:

• Build personal and corporate trustworthiness and credibility through communication.
• Refresh and practice presentation skills for engagement and impact.
• Incorporate feedback to increase your confidence.
• Develop communication strategies that are consistent and disciplined.
• Manage "hot-seat" questioning from sympathetic and adversarial audiences.
• Create a crisis communications strategy.
• Evaluate which social media channels will give you the best ROI.
• Learn how to use LinkedIn and Twitter to support your communication strategy.
• Analyze your online influence level.
• Position yourself and your organization as experts.
• Balance your online personal brand with your organization's brand.