I recently received a call from a regional sales leader who said that he was unable to express himself to senior management. 

He speaks effectively to his peers and his direct reports, but said that he has trouble organizing his thoughts when speaking to his boss’s  bosses.

I did not meet him in person, and did not try to figure out what was bothering him over the phone.  I suggested he shop around.  But I am curious.  What’s going on and what can he do about it?

What’s Going On?

Let’s speculate.

1. He’s projecting an image of harsh,  judgmental authority onto the senior leaders, which is causing him to tense up with anxiety.
2. He knows that some senior leaders have a reputation for being tough on presenters–they may use presentations as a stress test for “separating the men from the boys.”
3. He is not taking possession of his own strengths and feels like a child standing before angry parents–in a word, powerless.
4. He knows he is comfortable talking about his accounts, but lacks the ability to speak in broader terms about long-range strategic issues.
5. He can speak about his accounts, but worries about the Q&A.
6. He simply hasn’t spoken to them often enough to get comfortable in their presence.
7. He’s over-reacting.  Everyone is nervous speaking to senior leadership.  There’s much at stake.

What Can He Do about It?

1. First of all, get a basic check-up on his presentation skills–how to organize his information to appeal to his audience, and how to project himself effectively.
2. Rehearse his presentation with simulated real-world pressure.  This means getting people to sit and listen to him stumble through his first efforts.
3. Rehearse enough so that he transfers his knowledge and delivery skills from his cerebral cortex (which is good at learning new stuff) to his cerebellum (which is good at orchestrating lightning fast physical and mental tasks.)
4. Get some support from his immediate boss.  If the company believes in him, they should help him break through this challenge.
5. Get to know some of the senior leaders.  This could be difficult, but who knows what would happen if he called up one or two of them and asked them for some career guidance on how to make the presentation most useful to them.  They might see it as enterprising and thoughtful. 
6. Do some visualizing of the senior leaders as normal, fun-loving folks–people who have his best interests at heart, and who want to see him succeed.
7. Develop his self-esteem and confidence.  Read this article on bnet.com for some insights on how to do this.

It’s hard for many of us to step in front of an unfamiliar audience that we imagine knows more than we do, has more money and education than we do, more power, and in fact, could make or break us (or at least it feels that way.)

This guy was up-front and honest with me, and I respect him for that.  He’s out there trying to solve his problem–to take his skills to another level.  Actually, this is one of those instances when the word “skill” may not be the right word.  This might be more about personal growth.

My grandmother used to take me to the Central Park Zoo in New York to feed peanuts to squirrels.

The squirrels were tame, and stood on their hind legs begging with their front paws hanging in front of their chests.

I see speakers with squirrel paws—limp-wristed hands devoid of life—and no matter how bright the speaker, I am not impressed.

A squirrel-paw speaker doesn’t look like a person who can get anything done.