Can I say something gently, the way I would if we were sitting across from each other with an almond milk latte? If you’ve ever walked out of a meeting thinking, “Dang it. I should have said that,” you’re not alone.

Let me tell you about the time I felt like a baby seal being skewered during a job interview. I was living in Colorado, interviewing for a job in the energy sector.

Let’s cut the crap. You’ve been told (directly or indirectly) that if you want to lead at the next level, you need to “work on your executive presence.”

Dust yourself off and grab those big scissors over there. You’re about to be the guest of honor at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Come on in, Ted. Grab a seat for our quarterly meeting, and let’s find out which balls we’ve been dropping for the last six months and who needed support but didn’t get it!” Sounds silly, doesn’t it?