How can you make your presentations more persuasive as a leader?

One thing I have found helpful, is to note check points within your presentation where you should recap what you have covered and get your audience s feedback. Interaction is important for a good presentation (not everything is a monologue) This will also help give you a better understanding of how the audience is receiving information and allow for adjustment to be made as you presentation

Try to keep it short and sweet. No one wants to listen to a long-winded speech or lecture, so make sure that you get straight to the point. The more concise you can be, the better. Focus on the most important points so that your audience can take actionable steps based on your expertise.

Don't "wing it." It never works out well. You should be able to recite your presentation easily without having the slides in front of you. If you can't present it randomly on a whim to a group of strangers, you're not ready.

Story-telling has become the mantra for many leaders recently, as we know it creates a connection in people's minds between what is being discussed, and its practical application in the workplace. Having an emotional connection with the material means people are using their whole brains to connect with the material, and stories can make the material come alive. We always suggest giving case studies of certain aspects, so people can see the successes of others. Also, help listeners use their imaginations, as this induces a further injection of connectivity, as they start to co-create a different future along with you.

Determining how you want people to feel and what action you’d like them to consider taking should inform your presentation. Stories are a great idea because it helps people relate to abstract concepts. It helps them see how the idea lives. Try to have more stories than data. People will remember the stories but forget the data.

Kindra Hall's "Stories That Stick" shares four key components of an engaging story: identifiable characters, authentic emotion, a significant moment, and specific details. When we share authentically about relatable people and how our work is impacting them, this can communicate the importance of data, tasks, and our everyday work.

Don't add visuals for the sake of adding visuals. Less is more. If you include visuals, consider making them talking points or points of reference to your presentation. The more you can make it conversational with your audience, the more engaged they'll be.

Depending on the overall purpose of your slides and their use post presentation, a presentation is a guide and visual support for your topic; work towards including or displaying the points you want to "hit home with" this will also help avoid reading or overwhelming your audience thus distracting them from what you are saying

Seriously, don't wing it. I've done it myself dozens of times and it rarely works out well. Practice truly makes perfect. Or at least gets you close to it.