How to Lead With Your Presentation

In 2010, IBM conducted The Global Chief Executive Officer study, one of the largest studies of executive leaders. Consisting of more than 1,500 interviews with CEOs from 60 nations and 33 industries, the study resulted in the comprehensive report, Capitalizing on ComplexityAccording to Samuel J. Palmisano’s Letter from the Chairman introduction to Capitalizing on Complexity, the world’s private and public sector leaders believe that a rapid escalation of “complexity” is the biggest challenge confronting them.

The Letter from the Chairman also explained that, according to the global business and public sector leaders interviewed, creativity is the single most important leadership competency for enterprises seeking a path through this complexity.

Integrity and global thinking were respectively ranked as the second and third most important leadership traits when navigating the complex business environment.

Leaders will inevitably have an abundance of opportunities to apply the insights available in Capitalizing on Complexity. Even when preparing and delivering presentations, leaders can utilize the wisdom gained by this epic study. Read below for inspiration on how to be a leader, and effectively demonstrate creativity, integrity, and global thinking during your presentations.

leadership creativity
Before you even start writing or designing your presentation, take a critical look at your chosen topic. Consider innovative alternatives to your topic, as well as unexpected twists to your topic that can make your presentation more memorable. Putting on a creative lens when shaping a presentation topic is especially important if you are presenting on a topic that has been covered extensively in the past.

Once you have finalized your topic, start crafting your content outline. Instead of starting your outline with the first slide, start from the end and work your way backwards through the outline. Why? Sometimes the best way to generate a creative outcome is to shake up old processes. By starting with the conclusion to your presentation, you will likely have a clear understanding of what information you need to provide throughout your presentation. Also, deleting unnecessary information will be easier with the conclusion already solidified.

presentation design
When you design your presentation, be creative with your visuals. For example, utilize big text, and bold typography elements. If you have a knack for presentation design, experiment with an uncommon font, or unusual font combinations. If you do not have a solid understanding of typography, you might want to use a traditional font, but select an unexpected color for some words to emphasize key ideas.

Also, be creative with how you manage white space on your slides. If you cannot completely fill your slides with design elements, do not place your visuals in the center of the slide. Centered design elements surrounded by white space scream lack of innovation and will bore your audience to tears. If inspiration does not strike you as you try to manage your white space, at least utilize the Rule of Thirds to give your slides a creative look and feel.

CEO traits
Integrity is an important trait for all leaders, especially presenters.

Presenters are often given at least some level of instant credibility when they take the stage, and stand in front of an audience. For the most part, what you say as a presenter will be accepted, and possibly repeated outside of your presentation.

Integrity is important because invalid claims and inaccurate facts can have a seriously negative impact on your audience members. If they believe your distorted information, and use it to make decisions, the blame for their faulty judgement could be directed at you. In addition, demonstrating integrity will help you maintain your credibility as a presenter.

executive presentation
To have integrity as a presenter, do your research. Check your facts. Look for holes in your information. Consider the other side of the argument. Be transparent. Don’t skew data. Tell the whole story.

leaders
When conceptualizing the ideas for your presentation, look for opportunities to demonstrate a global perspective. Even if your topic covers a local issue, a global approach that includes stories from around the world can add some refreshing depth to your presentation materials. For example, if your presentation will cover local transportation issues, tell a story about how a community in another part of the world creatively solved a similar transportation issue. For topics that can easily highlight global thinking, remember to clearly demonstrate how your idea will have a global impact.

leadership global thinking

executive public speaking
If your content cannot be enhanced by a global perspective, try adding some design elements that subtly indicate your ability to think beyond your own personal experiences. You can achieve this goal simply by purchasing stock images that feature scenes from around the world. For example, if you want to design a slide to visualize the concept of vision, purchase a stock image of a bird flying over an international city, instead of using a photo from a local landscape.

Conclusion: Remember, the challenges of complexity are top of mind for executives. If your presentation can simplify a complicated topic through innovation, integrity, and global thinking, your presentation will have massive appeal, especially with executives.

 





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