Presence + Impact

An advanced leadership presentation training

Presence and Impact has leaders project the qualities that inspire teams and clients to achieve excellent results.

Today’s environment has brought new demands of leadership. World class companies are expecting these distinctive qualities from their leaders:

  • risk-taking
  • courage
  • ability to make teams work
  • cross-cultural awareness
  • creative thinking
  • tolerance for ambiguity
  • understanding organizational and system dynamics
  • flexibility, adaptability

Presence and Impact is an intensive program designed for those whose job demands excellence in persuasive communication within everyday and high stakes interactions.

How others see us is important to our creating greater business results. With Presence and Impact a strong presence, command, confidence and credibility is fully communicated both verbally and non-verbally.

When leaders maximize their most important assets: leadership presence and the ability to impact others – they will feel more in control and find aligning teams and clients comes quickly and naturally.  The interplay of the intellectual and physical provides individuals with a set of compelling communication skills. We bring more sensitivity to the thinking process.

This specialized program brings a set of diverse experiential exercises that build upon on five principles:

Awareness – It’s critical for leaders to know what they project out in the world, how they engage others, and what their impact is.  When they have a heightened sense or consciousness of themselves, their environment and of other people, they best shape the way to conduct critical interactions. This will help them to maximize their impact and get desired results.

Presence –  When present and aware in the moment, a leader will create a strong sense of self (weight) and a clear awareness and attention to the environment (space). This combination creates a stable state. Sensing, grounded, breathing, and present in the moment-to-moment – this is what our stakeholders seek in order to align with us. Presence is a way of deep listening.

Relating –  When relating, we easily attune with our audience and engage with them. Relating is a two way exchange. Ideally, relating is an ongoing cycle in which we constantly take in information (observing/ listening) from our “listener” and respond in the moment, making shifts as needed to truly meet the needs of the communication. It is from here we practice how to impact our listeners.

Dynamic Expression –  There is a great need for communication to have tone, texture, and variety in pitch, volume, size, pace, weight—this involves voice, body, and face – and is a reflection of our inner self. If our inner and outer expression is incongruent, we appear inauthentic. Dynamic Expression aligns our intention with our action to create a full communication. And because we are the message we embody the complexity, passion, and clarity of our message to have an authentic and articulate representation.

Spontaneity –  When a leader is able agile, flexible, “mobile” in the moment, ready for anything, they are ready to act in whatever way needed with great confidence, presence and the ability to take whatever comes in stride. By practicing the elements of improvisation – more present in the moment activities – we can think on our feet and take risks more readily when interacting with our stakeholders.

When mastered, these skills can become the formula for success.

The work combines business communications models and material from theatre performance disciplines all based in best practices, time honored and tested methods. The work is tailored to your current and critical business issues and imperatives and to the objectives of each individual in the room.

People who take the Presence and Impact work project a stronger and powerful presence, have deeper listening, feel greater confidence and are able to impact their teams and clients in a more profound manner. They stand out and are seen as true leaders.  The marketplace responds in a more positive manner.

The results are leaders will:

  • Act with increased impact for greater effect that move your stakeholders to action
  • Fully communicate intention through increased awareness and presence
  • Uncover their natural, authentic presence
  • Develop deeper listening
  • Release old behavior patterns that don’t support the goals
  • Connect deeper into relationships with leadership, stakeholders, colleagues, and teams
  • Feel more confident in everyday and high pressure interactions
  • Command the attention of an audience to gain alignment and buy-in
  • Achieve exceptional performance and be seen as leaders
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What My Clients Are Saying

"Martha, the morning session was absolutely transformative. The opportunity to share space, movement and breath with others was so impactful; understanding we have a kindred bond to connect with others, to share, to learn was amazing. You helped bring out the best of our selves. I would love to arrange a time for you to visit my campus as I would love to gift a session to women of my inner circle…will be back in touch with you shortly to explore.”
CEO, Healthcare Research

“Martha’s work and her techniques transcend both the professional and personal. She individualizes programs to lead to execution, leadership and team development. Her focus on essential skills trains from C-Suite to entry-level. All of the above is most critical at this time when cultures have to blend “old guard” and millennials and we all need to evolve, communicate and empower for success.”
MD, Financial Services

“I am in a new C-Level role and there is nothing that you and I have done over the years we’ve worked together that I’ve ever done before. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t rely on the skills you taught me to be successful in this role.”
CFO – Pharma Business

“Thank you so much for your coaching session over a year. It was a great pleasure to work with you. I strongly feel that your sessions are very effective and useful for my future career. In addition, most importantly, it was fun!”
Professional Services Firm Partner, Japanese Leadership Academy

“I just completed my third training with Martha Gelnaw and each session builds on one another. The classes are motivational, fun and highly educational and seem to get better each time! Martha is an experienced professional that has help me both professionally and personally. I am a big fan of the Improvisation session because I believe that every sales call is an improvisation. “Feeling my Feet” and “Being in the Moment” are two skills learned in the training that could be implemented immediately.”
Director, Global Pharma Company

“I just completed my third training with Martha Gelnaw and each session builds on one another. The classes are motivational, fun and highly educational and seem to get better each time! Martha is an experienced professional that has help me both professionally and personally. I am a big fan of the Improvisation session because I believe that every sales call is an improvisation. “Feeling my Feet” and “Being in the Moment” are two skills learned in the training that could be implemented immediately.”
Director, Global Pharma Company

“Working in the male-dominated trading floor environment made it hard for me [a woman] to feel recognized. Martha’s use of role-playing situations made it easier for me to introduce myself, assert my ideas in meetings, and gain credit for my work which allowed me to advance in my career.”
Director, Sales & Trading, Global Investment Bank

“I contracted Martha to work with my senior team who was preparing to present at a high stakes internal conference with an audience of 800 during a critical juncture for our practice. She worked carefully with each person to bring out their best, most engaging style and persuasive message. This was no easy task as these were people who are highly technical and not used to exhibiting a compelling stage presence. The results were very good and each person was happy with the outcome from the meeting.”
Senior Project Manager, Big Four Professional Services Firm

“Martha helped me become confident, relaxed, clear and organized – and to come across as an expert willing to help the audience while presenting trade ideas to greater than a hundred clients who had various levels of expertise.”
Director, Sales and Trading, Investment Bank

“I attended a program that Martha facilitated early in my career … [her] coaching has made me more self-aware of my communication style … I attribute the outstanding results to Martha’s deep experience in advising executives at all levels, acting training and sincere interest in seeing everyone succeed. Martha has really made a difference!”
Finance Director, Pharma firm

“I worked with Martha during a time of much change in my career, including a significant increase in responsibility. I realized that having great drive, a creative and strategic mind, and a successful track record were not going to be enough, and that I needed to SHOW my confidence in my capabilities in order to have credibility in my new role. Martha helped me learn how to portray my full confidence, and to have my presence embody my strength. Her coaching and guidance has had a significant impact on my ability to shine!”
SVP, Director, Financial Services

“I worked with Martha during a time of much change in my career, including a significant increase in responsibility. I realized that having great drive, a creative and strategic mind, and a successful track record were not going to be enough, and that I needed to SHOW my confidence in my capabilities in order to have credibility in my new role. Martha helped me learn how to portray my full confidence, and to have my presence embody my strength. Her coaching and guidance has had a significant impact on my ability to shine!”
SVP, Director, Financial Services