When speaking to senior leadership, it’s all about being yourself and owning the moment. Start by really knowing your material and understanding what matters to them. Share your personal stories to build trust and don’t hesitate to mention challenges you’ve faced; it shows you're real. Use confident body language and make eye contact to engage your audience. Invite questions to create a dialogue and help you connect better. A little mindfulness can help you stay focused, and bringing a positive attitude goes a long way in making your message stick. Afterward, ask for feedback to learn and grow. Visualizing your success can also give you that extra boost of confidence.

Here is what i can add for speaking authentically we should ground ourself in our purpose and stay true to our voice. We should know our key points but let go of the script - speak from the heart, not just the slides. My experience says confidence comes from owning our story so we should connect with our audience eye-to-eye & let our passion drive the message home. Authenticity is the ultimate credibility sooner we realize and adopt better it is for any kind of face off .

If you are doing your work, to the best of your ability & with right prioritization, there is no reason for fear. If you have or prepare your content to suit the executive's style, there is no reason to not be confident. The other thing to conquer is the need to always be perfect, to know every answer rather than 'let me work on it & get back.' Sometimes this is a habit, at times one may not follow-thru & 'get back' after doing the work for all 'let me work on it' tasks, leading to loss of authenticity in responding to executives or clients. If you make promises you intend to keep, and are self-aware to work on it on getting back, there is no reason to not be authentic.

When speaking to senior leaders, being your authentic self is key. Talk in a way that feels natural, like a conversation, instead of trying to sound too formal or perfect. Internalize your material and understand overall context and make it your own. Avoid rote learning. Prepare your main points well so you feel more relaxed and in control. Stand or sit up straight, make eye contact, and speak clearly, as this helps you come across as confident. Anticipate questions prior to your presentation and prepare answers. At the meeting practice active listening when asked questions. Stay calm, pause at relevant places to make your point and ask for clarity where needed. Leaders appreciate people who are honest and prepared.