In this instructional video for the CSH Communication Blueprint Challenge, the presenter greets the participants (the "Confidence Storytellers") and introduces Day 7’s focus: executive presence. Executive presence is defined as the confidence, credibility, and calmness that make a speaker trustworthy, not as loudness, expensive attire, or title. The speaker unveils a simple three‑part framework—PAC—standing for Posture, Authority, and Calmness. For Posture, the video advises standing tall, relaxed shoulders, eye contact, natural smile, and minimal movement. For Authority, it recommends speaking with clarity, avoiding tentative phrases (e.g., “I think,” “maybe”) and using assertive language (“My experience shows…”). For Calmness, it stresses composure, deliberate pauses, breathing, and using silence to let ideas land. An illustrative contrast shows a hesitant statement versus a confident, impactful version. The presenter then issues a practical challenge: record a 1‑2 minute standing video on any topic, focusing on delivery rather than content. Participants should apply the PAC principles, maintain eye contact, use natural pauses, and project calm confidence. While reviewing peers’ videos, they should assess confidence, pacing, body language, and authenticity, and provide feedback using the SPARK framework (specific, positive, actionable, respectful, kind). Teams are asked to identify and celebrate the member who displayed the strongest executive presence, explaining why. The video closes with a reminder that people remember how you make them feel, encouraging participants to let their presence speak before their words in every professional setting.
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Hey, Confidence Storytellers! Welcome to Day 7 of CSH Communication Blueprint Challenge. Congratulations, you're already halfway into the journey. You already crossed halfway, and on the last few days you have worked on understanding yourself, making a strong first impression, structuring your thoughts, telling stories, using metaphors, and influencing others. Today we are going to focus on something that separates good communicators from great communicators, and it's called executive presence. Have you ever noticed that some people walk into a room and everyone naturally pays attention? They don't shout, they don't dominate the conversation, yet people listen. Why? Because they communicate with presence. Many people think that executive presence is about wearing an expensive suit or having a fancy title. Actually, it's not. Executive presence is the confidence, credibility, and calmness people feel when you communicate. It's not about being the loudest person in the room. It's about being the most trustworthy. Today, I want to introduce a simple framework you can use every time you speak. This is called the PAC framework. So P stands for posture. Your body speaks before your words do. So I want you to stand tall, keep your shoulders relaxed, maintain eye contact, smile naturally, and avoid unnecessary movement. Your posture should communicate confidence, not stiffness. A stands for authority. Authority doesn't come from speaking louder, it comes from speaking with clarity. So avoiding phrases like 'I think,' 'maybe,' 'I'm not sure.' Instead, using the phrases like 'My experience has shown,' 'I have learned,' 'I recommend,' When you speak with conviction while remaining humble, that's when authority is built. C stands for calmness. One of the biggest signs of confidence is composure. Pause. Breathe. Don't rush. Silence is not awkward. Silence gives your audience time to think and gives your words more impact. Let me repeat that: silence gives your audience time to think and gives your words more impact. Remember, fast speakers sound nervous, calm speakers sound confident. Let me give you an example. Imagine someone says that communication is important, um, I think maybe everyone should work on it. Now compare that with this: Communication is one of the most valuable career skills you will ever develop. Every promotion, every relationship, and every opportunity is influenced by how well you communicate. That's why investing in this skill is one of the best decisions you will ever make. Same idea, but did you see the different presence? So today's challenge is about recording a 1 to 2 minute video on any topic of your choice. This time your content is important, but your delivery is the real focus. So as you speak, consciously work on standing confidently. I highly recommend that you record this video standing and not sitting, maintaining eye contact with the camera. Using natural pauses and speaking at a comfortable pace, and ultimately projecting calm confidence, not the louder one. While watching others today, I want you to don't just listen to the word but observe the speaker and ask, did they look confident? Did they rush or pause effectively? Was their body language aligned with their message? And did they sound authentic? And then use the SPARK framework to appreciate what worked well and to suggest specific improvement. Today, I want each team to identify one member who demonstrated the strongest executive presence, and maybe captains can facilitate that. And you want them to celebrate them in your group or in your team group or in the larger group. More importantly, tell them why they stood out. Remember, recognition is one of the most powerful forms of encouragement. I'll leave you with this thought: people may forget your exact word, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Executive presence is not about pretending to be someone else. It's about becoming the most confident version of yourself. Walk into every meeting, every presentation, every networking event knowing that your presence speaks before your words too. I'll see you in the next challenge and where we will continue building the Communication Blueprint. Until then, record your video, post it in the group. Story power to you.
