11/06/2026
Connection doesn’t start with what you say. It starts with how people feel when you say it.
That was how we started the session, by letting the leaders experience a simple activity.
It was just a 30-second introduction. But they quickly realised it’s not how intellectual you are that creates connection, but how human you are, and the sincerity in helping others get to know you a little more.
With that strong message of building connection in mind, we kicked off Elevating Executive Presence with this group of leaders from China and Malaysia. They are from a railway maintenance and consulting company in Malaysia, and quite a number of them are engineers.
One of the key learnings was how not to create “noise” through unintentionally careless details that distract people from your presence. This includes how we carry our energy, clothing, body language, conversations, and also how we carry our role as a graceful introducer to connect internal and external stakeholders.
At the core of it is building connection. How do you make people feel seen, valued, respected, and able to relate to you.
Without connection, presence becomes performance. With connection, presence becomes influence.
Thank you for trusting me with your professional growth journey. Thank you, too, to my Program Coordinator, Tinisa, who always shows up at 116%, allowing everyone in the room to experience our professionalism.
I often believe that executive presence is not what you show. It is how people experience you. Make your presence felt!✨️