Gordon Sheppard, MBA, Prosci

Selling yourself through a screen is one of the most important skills a leader can have. The camera, whether a full production set or a webcam, can create a real barrier between you and your audience. I was reminded of this when I appeared on Daytime Toronto, where the challenge was not just what I said, but how I came across through the lens. And in today’s age it’s not just TV: your day is likely filled with virtual meetings and Zoom presentations. If it feels harder to get buy-in virtually, you’re not imagining it. Inspiring others through a screen takes a different skill set. In my latest Fast Company article, I share five ways to get buy-in for your ideas in virtual settings: 📹 Keep the cameras on. Seeing your audience (and letting them see you) allows body language and eye contact to strengthen your pitch. ⏰ Choose the right moment. Pitch your idea at a strategic time, whether that means getting on the agenda of a formal meeting or waiting for the natural opening in an informal one. 🌉 Begin by bridging. Start by acknowledging what others have said. Respecting and building on colleagues’ input establishes common ground and makes your ideas easier to accept. 💬 Make your point succinctly. Keep your remarks short and to the point. Present your message in one sentence and then back it up with proof points. ✅ End with a call to action. Move your audience from discussion to action by pointing to next steps. Learn more about pitching ideas over Zoom in my latest Fast Company article: https://lnkd.in/gxmuxeCm #Leadership #VirtualMeetings #Communication #PublicSpeaking #FastCompany

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Agree or disagree with me on this? One of the hardest parts of chamber leadership is balancing the role of the board with the role of the staff. Many Presidents/CEOs feel like they have to bring practically everything to the board. It feels like transparency, or like you’re being respectful of the board’s role. The truth is, that instinct comes from a good place. But too often, it sets the chamber up for problems. Here’s why. When a chamber holds a strategic planning retreat, for instance, the board has done its job. They’ve rolled up their sleeves, wrestled with the big questions, and agreed on a handful of strategic objectives or pillars. That’s governance at its best. From there, it’s staff’s turn. The role of the President/CEO, and sometimes the consultant who facilitated, is to take those pillars and build a plan. A plan that’s professional, focused, and achievable. The board’s role is to approve that plan, not to re-write it. The danger comes when a draft is taken back again and again to the board, certain board members, or committees. What began as a clear and strong direction gets watered down. Suddenly, individual agendas, rehashing, and even the opinions of board members who weren’t at the retreat start to take over. What you end up with looks less like a strategy and more like a patchwork of edits. That’s why protecting the process isn’t about being secretive or shutting out the board. It’s about honoring the work they already did at the retreat, and making sure staff has the authority to carry out their role. When boards overstep (even if they were invited to overstep) , they unintentionally strip the CEO of credibility and create a weaker plan. When everyone stays in their lane, board sets direction, staff builds the plan and puts into operation, the chamber wins. The best chambers have boards that understand this balance. They trust their staff to take the big picture and turn it into action. They know their job is to approve and hold accountable, not to meddle in the details. Great boards stay out of the weeds even when invited to come in. When that balance is respected, the result is a stronger plan, a stronger CEO, and a chamber that can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be careful of the trap of involving your board too deeply in operations. That is asking for trouble. #Chamber #ChamberOfCommerce #ChamberPros

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Onboarding gets employees started. Assimilation gets them belonging.  The manager, of course, is the biggest factor in both onboarding and assimilation. A lot can happen in the first 90 days, and establishing simple consistent check-ins can help employees turn uncertainty into feeling confident. You can achieve that by simply asking these four questions:   What is working well?   What is challenging?   What do you need from me?   How are you feeling about your place here?   With just these four questions, the manager is addressing their employee beyond simply their tasks. They are also demonstrating that they care, creating space for such honesty, and building trust to improve psychological safety. When managers demonstrate curiosity and empathy, new hires engage in more than just learning their role — they start to feel they belong. P.S. - Views expressed in the post are personal. #employeeonboarding #psychologicalsafety #trustandempathy #workplaceculture #employeeengagement #peoplefirstleadership

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𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐍𝐨 𝐀𝐈 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. In today’s corporate world, the most powerful leaders aren’t the ones with the loudest voices or the quickest answers. They’re the ones who know how to pause, listen, and ask the right questions. Coaching as a leadership style is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s becoming essential. Why? Because in fast-changing environments: Strategies can become outdated overnight. AI and automation can replicate knowledge. Market shifts can disrupt even the best-laid plans. What can’t be automated is the human ability to think, feel, and grow. That’s where coaching comes in. A leader who coaches doesn’t just manage tasks, they cultivate potential. They build resilience in teams, foster innovation, and create workplaces where people don’t just perform, they thrive. The leaders of the future 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦-𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬. They’re the best 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. #leadersascoaches #coaching #selfawareness #leadership #questions

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