Have you been told you need “more executive presence” and walked away with no idea what that means or what to do next?

It's one of the most common pieces of feedback in leadership, and one of the least explained. It also often decides who gets promoted. Lida Citroën, executive coach and author of The New Rules of Influence, breaks down what people usually mean when they say it, drawing on a client who was passed over for promotion and her own early-career experience.

You’ll learn:

• Five things “you need more presence” might really mean, from still doing the work of your last role to staying silent when leaders need your view
• The questions that turn a vague label into specific next steps
• Why image, communication, and gravitas no longer cover it, and what replaces them
• Why senior leaders rank presence so highly yet struggle to define it
• For leaders who give this feedback: how to make it useful, and how to spot when “presence” is really bias against women, introverts, non-native English speakers, or anyone whose style differs from the leaders before them

Presence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s a skill you can build.

Received this feedback? Executive Coaching with Lida Giving this feedback? Executive Presence Programs for Organizations Go deeper: The New Rules of Influence __________________ Stay Connected LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

What if becoming the leader you've always wanted to be didn't require a new title, more credentials, or waiting until you finally "feel ready"? It just requires a decision and the willingness to do the internal work first.

In this conversation, Lida Citroën sits down with Claudia Wolter, a certified coach with over 15 years of corporate experience, including seven-plus years leading large remote teams across EMEA for a global company.

Claudia shares the personal pivot point that changed everything for her: discovering non-violent communication (NVC) while reflecting on the kind of parent she wanted to be, and realizing the exact same principles could transform how she leads at work. She and Lida unpack why so many capable professionals (especially women) hold themselves back, waiting for one more title or certification before claiming their expertise, and why true leadership presence has never required permission.

You'll learn:

• How non-violent communication reshapes difficult conversations, from parenting to performance management
• Why leading with connection and curiosity produces stronger results than commanding authority
• The overlooked power of strategic silence in coaching people toward their own solutions
• How to give feedback that actually lands, and why the "feedback sandwich" often fails
• How to set boundaries while staying authentic
• Why self-reflection, not job titles, is the real starting point for becoming the leader you want to be

Whether you just started leading or have been leading global teams, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for closing the gap between who you are today and the leader you're capable of becoming, without sacrificing kindness for results. This is your permission slip to start now. Links from this episode Book Lida to Speak at Your Event Stay connected LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

What if the most important question in your career isn't "What do you do for a living?" but "How do you want to be remembered?"

Alfred Nobel found out by accident — a newspaper ran his obituary early, mistaking him for his brother, and the headline called him "The Merchant of Death." He didn't wait for the real thing to change course.

In this episode, Lida Citroën unpacks the question she asks every executive she coaches — the one most of us have never actually sat down to answer. It's not a five-year plan. It's the reputation you're building right now, whether you're intentional about it or not. Lida walks through her own process for answering it, and how she lives it out daily.

You'll get the three-part framework she uses with coaching clients to build a desired brand:

Foundation — before you can decide how you want to be remembered, you have to know what's non-negotiable for you. Proof — how to audit the gap between how you're currently showing up and how you actually want to be known, and what to do about it. Payoff — why this clarity is what turns visibility into real influence.

You'll also hear why executive presence, as we've traditionally defined it, isn't the same as influence — and why waiting until the end of your career to think about legacy means you've already waited too long.

This conversation will challenge you and give you the clarity to start building your desired brand today.

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