As you read this, I am on Zoom putting students through a challenging Executive Presence exercise - answering a politically charged question in front of a large audience and their company leadership.

The hardest scenario I give students in my Executive Presence class is this: at a company all-hands, your CEO turns to you and asks, "if you had my job, what would you change about the company?"

This scenario asks a leader to react to an unexpected question on the spot and do several things:

1) Answer promptly and clearly

2) Consider how their answer will impact their reputation and perceived leadership by peers and team members in the audience

3) Consider how the answer will be received by their CEO. Even a good CEO, open to real feedback, might not want that feedback to be too harsh or pointed in front of a large audience.

You might imagine, reading this now, that you would handle it well. But if this question came as a surprise in such a setting, I think it would be pretty tricky to both formulate and deliver a strong answer. I know that my students find it challenging.

You may also think, is this question realistic?

I have in fact seen CEOs and other leaders put people on the spot in front of audiences, often unintentionally. They think they are asking honest and open questions, and do not realize the difficulty of answering them.

Insider secret - most tough leaders do not think they are intimidating, and do not think there is any reason to fear answering them honestly. Even most "hot heads" who are prone to yelling at employees don't see themselves as unapproachable.

Executive presence is a universal career and communication skill. It matters in corporate life and small entrepreneurial settings.

No matter where you are or what you do, you will benefit from being a better communicator with stronger influence skills.

These skills can be taught, learned, and practiced

My current class wraps up today with the capstone challenge I explained here. The next class is open for registration if you are ready to build a skill that AI cannot master for you - handling tough situations with a live audience on the fly.

Sign up here: maven.com/ethan-evans/e…

If you have a suggestion for other tough scenarios that would push student skills, please share it in a comment. The best training pushes you harder than real life, so that anything you face later is easier than the class itself.