549: Why High Performers Fail at Senior Leadership & Executive Presence (And Don’t Even Know It)

Click here if you’re a senior leader who’s ready to recalibrate how you’re perceived at the executive level — in the next 90–120 days. The Executive Presence Mastery System may be your logical next step.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

Are you focusing so much on productivity and results that you’re unintentionally sabotaging your leadership success—and even your health?

Many high-performing professionals believe success comes from checking off tasks, working faster, and staying constantly busy. But research shows that busyness without meaningful human connection leads to disengagement, loneliness, and stalled leadership growth.

In this episode, leadership expert Dr. Michelle Johnston explains why the future of leadership isn’t about doing more—it’s about connecting more.

By the end of this episode with stellar guest Dr. Michelle Johnston, you’ll know:

😩Why productivity alone leads to emptiness, burnout, and missed leadership opportunities

🎯 The powerful mindset shift that helps leaders gain visibility, trust, and influence

🚀 Practical ways to build stronger relationships and run more engaging meetings—even if you’re an introvert

Press play to learn the leadership shifts that will help you build stronger relationships, gain influence, and lead with the human connection today’s workplace demands.

So if you’re someone who’s doing great work, checking all the boxes, hitting your goals, and still wondering why you’re not getting the visibility or recognition you deserve… you’re not alone.

Maybe you’ve been told you’re a high performer, but somehow you’re still not seen as leadership material. And that can be incredibly frustrating—because you’re working harder than ever, but it still feels like you’re being overlooked.

That’s exactly why we created the Executive Presence Scorecard. You quickly see how others actually experience you as a leader—so you can identify the hidden gaps that might be holding back your influence, visibility, and next promotion.

If you’re curious about where your executive presence really stands, just head to the 2nd paragraph of these show notes, click the link. It only takes a few minutes, and it could completely change how you show up as a leader.

About our guest:

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a passionate champion of connection-driven leadership. Recently featured on NBC News with Kate Snow, she is a best-selling author, top ten executive coach, podcast host, keynote speaker, and distinguished professor whose groundbreaking work is reshaping how leaders connect, communicate, and collaborate.

Widely regarded as being at the forefront of the connection movement, Michelle has spent her career showing leaders how authentic relationships drive both engagement and results. She is the bestselling author of The Seismic Shift in You: The Seven Necessary Shifts to Create Connection and Drive Results, her newest book coauthored with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. This powerful guide offers a transformative roadmap for leaders to reevaluate their perspective, priorities, meetings, and calendar to drive more meaningful results.

Michelle serves as a distinguished professor of leadership at Loyola University New Orleans, holds a Ph.D. in Communication from Louisiana State University, and brings decades of insight to her coaching and keynotes. She also hosts The Seismic Shift podcast, ranked in the Top 10% of all podcasts globally, where she engages executives, authors, and thought leaders on the seismic shifts shaking up the way we work and the way we live.

To learn more visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. New Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.