Brenda’s Blog
Explore Brenda’s latest thinking on leadership, coaching, and branding. Each post offers practical insights and immediately usable tools to help you succeed — both as a leader and in life.
Which of these top presenting mistakes have YOU Made?
Consider these scenarios: Your boss informs you that you will be presenting to a high-level group of senior leaders in three days’ time. Or… you get a call from the President of an association asking you to speak to an audience of 250 at a well-attended industry conference. Or… you’ve been asked to give a […]
How adaptable are you? Take this quiz and find out – self-leadership challenge #12
As Senior Director of Finance for a major insurance company, my executive coaching client, Marilyn, knew more about rules and regulations than most of the people in her company. And she stuck to them—down to the tiniest detail. She acknowledged that she might be a bit rigid, but being flexible in her industry brought risks […]
How to avoid saying “yes” when you really want to say “no”— self-leadership challenge #11
If you’re like most of the busy executives I work with as an executive coach and corporate trainer/speaker, your day may go something like this: Headquarters wants your profit projections for next quarter a week in advance of when you and your team had planned. There’s a line of direct reports outside your office door […]
Self-leadership challenge #10: Tough decision-making made easy
As a senior manager or executive, you’re constantly faced with difficult decisions. Most of the time, you can make those decisions based on experience, financial analysis of the situation, input from colleagues or your boss, or even perhaps pure instinct. But once in a while—and this happens to us all as leaders—you’re faced with a […]
Self-leadership challenge #9: Small talk is a big art—how to become a master
Mastering “small talk” can make a big difference in your career. Yet, time and time again, executive coaching clients tell me they dread it. When I speak to an audience and someone mentions that they dread small talk, I sometimes role-play, acting like I’m an individual who has a lot of trouble with it. I […]
Self-leadership challenge #8: How your thoughts impact success
When Victoria showed up for her executive coaching session with me, she looked forward to focusing on three behaviors that she had identified as holding her back in her career progression. Here’s what she had written down: I need to speak up more in meetings, particularly with senior leaders. I need to stand up to […]
Self-leadership challenge #7: How great self-leaders influence others — even without title or authority
My executive coaching client, Mei, had just received a high-visibility promotion. It would shift her from leading the sales function (with full profit and loss responsibility) to taking over a regional sales job in charge of 11 countries. However, with this new move, P&L responsibility would remain with the 11 country heads. Her new regional job […]
We’re celebrating! Find out why…
This past Saturday, April 1st, 2017 was a big day for us here at BDA. Not just because it’s April Fools’ Day (although we do have a lot of fun with that) but because 15 years ago on that date, our company, Brand Development Associates (BDA) International, was born! In this blog, I share more […]
Self-leadership: Important for Entrepreneurs and “Intra”preneurs, too!
During my years of coaching senior executives, I came to understand that self-leadership is the most important – and most overlooked – driver of overall success. It’s a key part of being a successful entrepreneur – and a successful “intra”preneur, too. Self-leadership allows you to lead yourself to reach both “doing” goals – (Executive Presence, […]
See you in Thailand!
“Please let me know when you’ll be speaking at a public event!” This is a phrase I hear often because I normally only present at private corporate meetings, conventions, and conferences. However, next month, I will be speaking at a regional coaching conference in Bangkok, Thailand on May 26 – and it’s open to the […]
Self-leadership challenge #6: The “secret sauce” of powerful Executive Presence
What is Executive Presence? I have found a lot of confusion among executive coaching clients about the true meaning of this “buzz phrase.” The way I like to define it is: “a set of attitudes, behaviors, and skills which—when combined—send the right signals, influence others, and ultimately drive results.” If you’re a senior leader, you […]
Self-Leadership Challenge #5: How to Self-Promote Without Bragging
I once coached a leader named Margaret, a Human Resources executive who, along with her team, was responsible for 125 leaders within her large organization—no small feat. However, as a result of a company merger, Margaret and her team suddenly found themselves responsible for almost double that—245 leaders—and were informed that due to cost-cutting measures, […]
Self-Leadership Challenge #4: Why Great Self-Leaders Know Arguing is a Good Thing
My executive coaching client, Sonya, was head of the Operations function in her organization when her boss was struck with a severe illness that forced him to suddenly quit his job. As a result, Sonya was catapulted overnight to the role of General Manager. She went from being peers with her fellow function heads to […]
Self-Leadership Challenge #3: The Most Important Question to Ask Yourself as a Self-Leader
These are interesting times for leaders. Technology is changing the game every day, there is increasing competition for good jobs, and the international economic climate is as fickle as the weather in London. If you are like most of the executives I coach it’s hard to find the time to sit down and contemplate where […]
Self-Leadership Challenge #2: The Two Biggest Time-Wasters that Great Self-Leaders Avoid
As an executive coach, I’ve reviewed the time logs of hundreds of senior managers and executives. In those logs, where leaders track their movements at 15-minute increments for two full weeks, the two biggest and most consistent time-wasters that great self-leaders avoid have jumped out from the page: (1) attending meetings and (2) writing/responding to […]
Self-Leadership Challenge #1: What Does it Mean to Be a Great “Self-Leader”?
Often, when we hear the word “leader,” we think of an individual who leads others. But people-leadership is only one part of an executive’s journey. Yes, people-leadership skills are absolutely critical to success … but on their own, they are not enough to help you reach your full potential. Before you can effectively lead subordinates, […]
