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Emotional Intelligence

Executive Presence Is Not About Being the Loudest in the Room

Mastering Executive Presence: Leadership Lessons from Aletta Rochat

What does it really mean to have executive presence? It is not simply about how you look, how confidently you speak or how much space you take up in a room. True executive presence is about how you show up, how you connect with people and how others experience your leadership.

In this episode of Leadership Lyrics, Yoke van Dam speaks with Aletta Rochat, global speaker, author, executive coach and the first person from Africa to serve as International President of Toastmasters International. Together, they explore executive presence, authentic leadership, emotional intelligence, cross-cultural communication and effective leadership.

From navigating cultural differences and difficult conversations to creating space for healthy debate and confidently claiming your place at the table, Aletta shares practical insights for leaders who want to strengthen their influence and leadership impact.

Discover why executive presence starts with connection, self-awareness and the courage to contribute.

2 October 2026

Leadership

An Autopsy on Leadership with Dr Bill Price

Long before an organisation promotes someone that person has to give themselves permission to become who they’ve grown into. We only get recognised what has already happened internally. Insights from our podcast episode an Autopsy on leadership, examining leadership from the inside out. We speak about identity shifts, what gets measured, toxic teams, collaboration and overcoming silo’s.

9 September 2026

Emotional Intelligence

The Gold in Forgiving Yourself

There is a version of forgiveness we rarely talk about. Not forgiving the person who hurt you, but forgiving the version of yourself that was not ready to learn the lesson yet. On The League of Visionaries Podcast, I spoke about Edith Eger’s “The Choice” and why that harder kind of forgiveness sits at the heart of how leaders actually change. It is the same principle behind Kintsugi: the crack does not get hidden. It gets filled with gold.

21 August 2026

Emotional Intelligence

How to Reframe Negative Thoughts: An NLP Tool for Leaders

In June 2023, I walked onto a keynote stage on crutches, wearing a moonboot and hiding tears from the drive over. What I told that audience turned my worst professional moment into my most memorable opening line. In this post I share two NLP reframing techniques you can use to shift a negative thought before you walk into your next high-stakes meeting.
That’s 63 words, which sits comfortably in the excerpt sweet spot. If your theme cuts excerpts at 55 words, here’s a tighter version:
In June 2023, I delivered a keynote on crutches, in a moonboot, after crying the whole drive there. What I said on that stage turned pain into my best opening line. Here are two NLP reframing techniques to shift a negative thought before your next high-stakes meeting.

15 July 2026

Staff Engagement

Meaning, Leadership, and the Courage to Address the Elephant in the Room

Some of the most important growth happens in the places we tend to avoid. Drawing on the Japanese art of Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold, this conversation explores how fractured moments in life and work are not signs of failure. They are invitations to build wisdom and strength. When leaders find the courage to address the elephant in the room, teams begin to rebuild trust and say what has been left unsaid. Real leadership makes room for others to shine. The fractured places are not the end of the story. They are often where the most meaningful transformation begins.

9 July 2026

Cultures that scale with Margaret Hirsch and Yoke van Dam

Leadership

Great leaders build great people: lessons from my conversation with Margaret Hirsch

Five years after her last visit to Leadership Lyrics, Margaret Hirsch joined me again, this time from Florida, where she and Allan now live after handing Hirsch’s over to their son Richard. We spoke about the deliberate choices behind the Hirsch’s culture: what Disney University taught them about structure, why every morning starts with training and singing, why they hired for attitude ahead of skill, and how they prepared the next generation to lead. Margaret leaves every founder with one practical question: what happens in your business by design, and what happens by accident?

9 July 2026

Leadership

When Leaders Go Dark: The Real Cost of Poor Change Management

Insights from the Leadership Lyrics conversation with change and transformation specialist Adrienne Gibson. Most companies talk about change constantly and still get it badly wrong.

9 July 2026