Respect should be at the core of all your dealings. You gain respect by seeking to understand the views of others and verifying your understanding by replaying or rephrasing what you have been told. This is called Active Listening. But being respectful does not mean that you have to agree automatically. To be assertive, you will need the data available and communicate at the executives' level to explain the impact of the course of action. For example, define business objectives and impact for the CEO, numbers for the CFO, or technology broad strokes for the CIO. Start at the highest level, prompt them to ask for more information, and peel the onion back one layer at a time until their need for detail is satisfied.

A lot of it happens before the meeting. It's called hallways catchup. Introduce the stakeholders with the idea, let them buy in or adjust accordingly. 90% of the work must be done before the meeting. The meetings should be used to close the deal.

You need to understand your topic and ensure that you are well-researched in the area. You need to be clear on objectives, deliverables and the risks involved. Allow time for questions and be prepared. In most cases, it comes down to trust and having a conversation before the meeting with key stakeholders provides time for C-Suite executives to process and approach you if needed.

When communicating with stakeholders and C-suite executives, always stay calm and focussed even during disagreements, trust your data and do good research. Also dont reiterate the same point multiple times. Aso be open to learn.