The Look & Sound of Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Look & Sound of Leadership

Essential Communications - Tom Henschel

Business

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/27d. Total Eps: 274

An ongoing series of Executive Coaching Tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.

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Score global : 32%

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How to Motivate and Inspire

Episode 261

Thursday, November 6, 2025 • Duration 20:47

After a leader turns around the performance of one of his direct reports, he and his coach explore how it happened. And how to make it stick.

Core ideas in the episode:

Workplaces improve when positive feedback is present
Our natural human negative bias is a barrier to giving positive feedback.
Learn to notice when things go well.
Tell people how they are helping solve the puzzle that is work.
Research says the most effective feedback ratio is 4-to-1, positive to developmental.

Positive Feedback might sound like this:

Recognize what’s going well – and be specific
Appreciate how it’s helping solve the puzzle
Express your thanks

Developmental Feedback might sound like this:

Describe what happened – and be specific
Explain how it affects the puzzle solving effort
Express your hope for a different outcome

You can Sign-up for more resources and tools in our monthly email.

If you’re thinking about coaching for yourself, or for someone on your team, let’s talk. tom@essentialcomm.com.

This episode is tagged in three categories in our podcast library:

Managing Yourself

Perception – How You Perceive Others

Relationship Building

Related episodes to listen to are:

146 - Building Empathy

119 - Creating Devoted Followers

212 - How to Coach Your People

255 - How to Deepen Relationships at Work

260 - How to Guarantee Psychological Safety

Thanks, as always, for your reviews!

Until next time, thanks so much for listening.

From The Look & Sound of Leadership team

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How to Guarantee Psychological Safety

Episode 260

Thursday, October 2, 2025 • Duration 22:44

A toxic boss destroys psychological safety on her team. One of her direct reports talks to his coach about how to survive. And how to keep his own team safe.

Core ideas in the episode:

Don’t take other people’s bad behavior personally.
You are not a victim. You have choice.
Document repeated bad behavior.
Openly discussing mistakes without blame creates safety on a team.
As the leader, be willing to admit your own mistakes.
Ask people: “How do you think that went?” and “What could we do differently?” Then listen without debate or rebuttal.

A free infographic supports this episode. Download it here.

The episode referred to about creating strong personal relationships is:

#199 Personal Connections.

Sign-up for monthly resources and tools in our monthly email.

Curious about coaching for yourself or someone on your team? Let’s talk. tom@essentialcomm.com.

COACHES! Want to see this year’s pricing survey results? Pop me an email at: tom@essentialcomm.com.

How to Build an Executive

Episode 251

Thursday, January 9, 2025 • Duration 26:12

A coaching client wonders what elements need to be present for someone to appear ‘executive.’ Two executive coaches ponder this question and come up with five elements they deem essential.

Categories in the archive to explore:

Developing New Behaviors

Executive Presence

Perception – How You’re Perceived

Six episodes to dive into:

189 - Don’t Take Anything Personally

178 - Executive Presence – Three Pillars

168 - Influence

108 - Shouldering the Burden of Leadership

23 - Speed of Thought

Download the Six Books for Growth here.

Listen to episode, about a real-life on-stage catastrophe.

Acting on the Corporate Stage

Thursday, September 7, 2017 • Duration 23:25

This month's episode introduces "Acting on the Corporate Stage." That phrase was Tom's original branding phrase, before "The Look & Sound of Leadership" became his branding phrase.

"Acting on the Corporate Stage" aims at helping you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived, which, of course, is the reason d'etre of every episode.

Also this month, Tom shares reflections on attending his first-ever podcaster's convention. And his reflections are all about YOU!

He also points you to two very different interviews on other podcasts:

The Everyday Innovator with Chad McAllister, episode 137. He and Chad deconstruct the "Sorting & Labeling" tool. Very helpful!

Fatherhood 360 with David Wissore, episode 11. While exploring how parenthood influences leadership, Tom reveals some very personal stories.

The four related episodes this month are:
Act “As If”
Creating New Behaviors
Self-Awareness and Self-Management
The Mindful Executive

The archive of Executive Coaching Tips is at:
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast

Performing Like a TED Talker

Thursday, August 3, 2017 • Duration 16:35

Delivering a top-notch presentation requires you to master your ideas. Of course! But even more, you need to master yourself. Your audience won’t be able to lock onto you unless you are “in focus.” This month’s coaching conversation shows you how to get “in focus.”

Related episodes are:
Prepping Like a TED Talker
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/prepping-like-ted-talker/

Talking Like a TED Talker
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/talking-like-ted-talker/

All Presentation Skills Tips are available at:
http://essentialcomm.com/tag/presentation-skills/

A PDF summary of Chris Anderson's book, "TED Talks" is
available to you. Just pop Tom an email and ask for it. He's at:
info@essentialcomm.com

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Prepping Like A TED Talker

Thursday, July 13, 2017 • Duration 17:21

Preparing a presentation raises many questions. How much are you going to rehearse? What will you actually do during your rehearsal? Are you going to memorize your talk? This month’s coaching conversation covers all that and more.

Four core concepts this month:

Rehearsal is obligatory.
Manage your self-talk.
Find your throughline.
Rehearsal means “out loud.”

In the archive is a whole set of Tips about “self talk.” It’s at:
http://essentialcomm.com/tag/self-talk/

There’s another set about “presentation skills.” That’s at:
http://essentialcomm.com/tag/presentation-skills/

Many different Executive Coaching Tips are referenced in this episode. Four related episodes are:
Captivate Your Audience
I Talk Too Fast!
The Power of Rehearsal
What Compelling Speakers Share

The entire archive of Tips is at:
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast

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Short Sounds Confident

Thursday, June 1, 2017 • Duration 17:07

Holding each other’s attention is a constant challenge. But you can’t achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership if you can’t keep people listening to you.

This month’s coaching conversation emphasizes three little slogans to make sure you aren’t driving your listeners away from you. All three slogans are just three words long: “Short sounds confident.” And “Communication takes effort.” And “Stop talking sooner.”

There are so many reasons why embodying those slogans is hard. And, in truth, it’s easier for some people than for others. But everyone can get at least a little better at this. This month’s podcast will give you lots of practical tips – and some metaphors!—to help get you there.

Past Tips are available at:
essentialcomm.com

Be in touch with us at:
info@essentialcomm.com

We love hearing from you.

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Readers’ Letters — Bonus Episode 2

Episode 158

Tuesday, May 23, 2017 • Duration 15:44

Tom exchanges emails with two listeners. One exchange addresses issues of personal boundaries in the workplace; the other addresses scarcity and abundance.

This Bonus Episode is only the second one in the 9-year history of "The Look & Sound of Leadership." If you like this and want more, tell us. Contact us through the homepage at:
essentialcomm.com

Or by email at:
info@essentialcomm.com

The prior bonus episode -- with two other email exchanges -- is titled "Readers' Letters." It was posted in May, 2016. Find it in your feed. It’s not available on our website. (We’re working on that!)

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Talking Like a TED Talker

Thursday, May 4, 2017 • Duration 18:32

TED Talkers turn us into engrossed detectives, absorbed in solving the mysteries unfolding before us. But TED Talking doesn’t have to be saved for special events. This month’s coaching conversation explores ways to turn everyday presentations into compelling content that will hold people's interest ... like a TED Talk.

If you're crafting an actual TED Talk, use Chris Anderson's terrific book: "TED Talks."

I have a nifty 3-page reduction of Anderson's book. Reach out to me at info@essentialcomm.com and I'll send it along.

Working to improve yourself as a presenter? The Coaching Tips archive are full of related episodes. Go to: essentialcomm.com/podcast and search the topic: "Presentation Skills."

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The Voice of Authority

Thursday, April 6, 2017 • Duration 17:54

Authority. It’s a slip-sliding sort of thing, isn’t it? Do we get it automatically along with a title? Sometimes. But sometimes not. This month’s coaching conversation examines both the thoughts and the words that give us authority.

The ideas in this month's episode echo motifs embedded in many other episodes. Just a few related Executive Coaching Tips are:

Every episode is available at:
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/

Be in touch with us at:
info@essentialcomm.com

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The Look & Sound of Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

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The Look & Sound of Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other99+

Amazon61

Youtube11

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Other99+

Amazon61

Youtube11