High-Stakes Presentation Skills for Leaders and Managers
1h 11mIntermediate2025-06-18
Authors

Spencer Waldron
Course details
Your ability to present under pressure can define your career. Senior leaders expect clarity, confidence, and strategic thinking—especially in high-stakes moments. In this course, instructor Spencer Waldron helps you master the skills to influence decisions, gain executive buy-in, and be seen as a trusted advisor.
Whether you're securing resources, handling tough questions, delivering critical updates, or presenting to senior leaders, you’ll learn how to structure your message for impact, stay composed under pressure, and communicate with authority. By the end of this course, you’ll have the tools to not just present effectively—but to position yourself as a leader who gets results.
Learning objectives
Craft impactful presentations that resonate by prioritizing strategic business needs.
Design clear, structured presentations that facilitate executive decision-making.
Demonstrate composure and credibility when handling challenging questions.
Develop persuasive, data-driven business cases aligned with strategic goals.
Apply communication techniques to navigate pushback and maintain productive conversations.
Whether you're securing resources, handling tough questions, delivering critical updates, or presenting to senior leaders, you’ll learn how to structure your message for impact, stay composed under pressure, and communicate with authority. By the end of this course, you’ll have the tools to not just present effectively—but to position yourself as a leader who gets results.
Learning objectives
Craft impactful presentations that resonate by prioritizing strategic business needs.
Design clear, structured presentations that facilitate executive decision-making.
Demonstrate composure and credibility when handling challenging questions.
Develop persuasive, data-driven business cases aligned with strategic goals.
Apply communication techniques to navigate pushback and maintain productive conversations.
Skills covered
Public SpeakingPresentationsCommunicationProfessional DevelopmentLeadership and ManagementBusiness Software and ToolsOne-Off
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - High stakes leadership communication
1. Presenting When the Stakes Are High
- 02 - Focus on what matters
- 03 - Using empathy to navigate and succeed in high-stakes presentations
- 04 - Presentation structure for maximum clarity
- 05 - Handling tough questions
2. Making the Case for Resource Allocation
- 06 - Aligning resource requests with business goals
- 07 - Building a compelling business case that gets results
- 08 - Creating buy-in
3. Delivering Good or Bad News
- 09 - Delivering bad news with leadership and transparency
- 10 - Delivering good news to inspire and motivate
- 11 - Managing conflict and pushback during high-stakes conversations
4. Presenting to the Entire Organization
- 12 - Leading in organizational alignment
- 13 - Engaging large audiences - Techniques for all-hands meetings
- 14 - Preparing for a one-on-one with senior executives
- 15 - Leading and delivering in a one-on-one meeting with an executive
- 16 - Cross-departmental communication for strategic alignment
5. Representing the Organization Externally
- 17 - Networking effectively to represent your organization
- 18 - Adapting your message for external impact
Conclusion
- 19 - Presenting with impact
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