My mind goes back to the Chicago tune that asks the question: Does Anybody Know What Time it Is? Does Anybody Care? For me, it only takes a small leap in my mind to arrive at the question: Does Anybody Know what Real Is? Does Anybody Care?…About Real?
Well, I care, and I can imagine that several of you care too. Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit in a room filled with 225 people. Some were in suits; some dressed casual, trying to pretend that they weren’t at a business conference. The air was filled with serious thoughts, until an improvisation actor and facilitator took the stage and moved the audience from a place of seriousness to laughter. As I looked around the room, I saw people transform from conference formality to jovial playfulness. It was fantastic and life producing. I felt my mind drop the suit that it came in wearing and opened to a new lighter train of thought.
Being real is one of the most sought after human traits. We are born with it – then we are taught how to be from family, society, the work world – and then somewhere in mid-life, we strive to have it back.
Some of our greatest leaders and presenters are individuals that have been able to tap into their realness, be professional, and share meaningful insights with others. Sometimes, we have to be able to let go: to be able to dive deep and trust that bringing our real and conversational attributes to the meeting or presentation is going to be exactly what is needed in our professional world.
It is the place where our tasks and our humanity connect. The place where our playfulness makes way for needed creativity so that problems can be solved and communication can move forward.
So, tap into your real! Find ways to bring that voice to the room, the meeting, the presentation. It will create the most natural environment to enable others to hear what you are saying, and hopefully, it will release an element of your creative improvisational playfulness.
Another tip on being real:
Executive Presence Tip: “Real” is Easy.
