Push through the discomfort and act like you belong…

Follow this fast track method if you’re looking for mental and physical burn out.

Pushing through high pressure meetings on will power alone is a surprisingly common approach to managing meetings as a non-native speaker and it’s remarkably effective… if you’re aiming to sabotage your leadership potential. 

Why? All this ‘fake it till you make it methodology does is diminishes your authority negates your power and destroys any feeling of natural right to be there. In adopting this approach you're not just creating a glass ceiling for yourself, you're also creating a highly stressful and exhausting environment and laying the path to mental and physical burnout.

During 25 years of teaching business English across Pharma, Biotech, Automotive and Finance sectors I saw the same thing happening time and time again. Brilliant professionals with B2-C2 level English speaking confidently within the safety of the class, but shrinking in meetings of more than 3 people. 

Mental blank, lost words, hesitation and resistance to voice or defend an opinion that could be seen as unpopular or misunderstood would be followed by guilt and shame that they hadn’t performed better particularly at their level. 

Interestingly, I noticed a pattern in the type of individuals this happened to: introverted sensitive perfectionists. The more extroverted professionals would speak up with more confidence, more presence and more language mistakes, yet feel less guilty about their lack of perfection.

The near constant negative self talk or mental chatter that these individuals experience, not only preceding but also during and after such events often triggers a cycle of stress and performance anxiety which can be hard to break out of without the right support.

As a sensitive introvert myself who hates role plays and has been known to shake physically when presenting on stage or defending an argument, and as a recovering people pleaser… I get it. The difference for me is that I’ve learnt to use my sensitivity as a resource rather than an obstacle and manage my mental chatter turning it from critic to compassionate cheerleader. 

Using my Stirred, Not Shaken methodology and The Leadership Presence Blueprint I support introverted multilingual leaders to speak up with more confidence and lead with presence. The methodology is a 5 phase approach which develops authentic leadership presence by combining subconscious and conscious work to help redefine values, reveal forgotten strengths, calm negative self talk and overcome anxieties facilitating a reconnection with natural confidence.

Many of my clients come to me after suffering a loss of confidence and leadership presence since being made redundant or after a failed interview. The there are those who come after a successful interview wishing they hadn't put 'Professional working capacity' under English language skills. The Language element is just the scape goat for what's lying under the surface; insecurity, lack of confidence and trust in themselves. In other words being human.

If you are a leader working in a second or third language and you’re looking to increase confidence and presence without feeling like you’re putting on any act or exhausting yourself, we should speak.

Book a free 20 minute consultation call with me to talk about your situation and how I can help.