Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

531: 5 Mistakes High Performers Make When Trying to Join Executive Circles & How to Avoid Losing Your Leadership Presence

Feb 11, 2026
Callum Laing, bestselling author and entrepreneur who helps leaders win board seats. He shares the CARES framework for engineering access and influence. You’ll hear practical moves to expand your reach, build third-party authority, turn introductions into equity, and use service as a magnet for meaningful connections.
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ANECDOTE

Talent Needs The Right Room

  • Callum Laing tells the Joshua Bell subway experiment to show talent alone doesn't guarantee recognition.
  • He uses it to argue you must play in the right room for your skills to be noticed.
ADVICE

Become A Go-To Connector

  • Do proactively build connections by becoming a connector and helping others meet useful contacts.
  • Introductions take minutes but compound your network value and raise your profile quickly.
INSIGHT

Third-Party Roles Amplify Authority

  • Authority depends on how others perceive you, not just your competence.
  • Sitting on a board or publishing work leverages third-party validation to change that perception fast.
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