About this episode

Dr. Laura Sicola discusses the importance of communication skills in leadership and shares techniques to enhance executive presence.

Dr. Laura Sicola reveals why expertise alone won't get you heard — and the 3 Cs that turn knowledge into leadership influence. You've mastered your subject. You know your material cold. So why does the room glaze over when the stakes are highest? Cognitive linguist, executive coach, and author Dr. Laura Sicola says the gap isn't your expertise — it's the three inches between your brain and your mouth. In this episode of the Business of Story, she shares the framework that's helped Fortune 500 executives at Amazon and Kaiser Permanente stop sounding like spreadsheets and start commanding every room they walk into. Her TEDx Talk, "Want to Sound Like a Leader? Start by Saying Your Name Right," has nearly 7 million views — because the problem is universal and the fix is counterintuitive. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE The 3 Cs of Executive Presence: Command the Room, Connect with Your Audience, and Close the Deal — and why each requires a completely different skill Why the movie playing in your head is never the movie your audience is watching — and how to close that gap before it costs you the deal The neuroscience of humor: why a well-placed laugh creates dopamine, builds…

People in this episode

Host: Park Howell

Guest: Dr. Laura Sicola

Topics covered

• executive presence
• communication skills
• leadership influence
• neuroscience of humor
• persuasion techniques

Keywords

• executive presence
• communication
• leadership
• persuasion
• humor
• neuroscience
• audience connection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Amazon, Kaiser Permanente

Books & works: Want to Sound Like a Leader? Start by Saying Your Name Right

More episodes of Business of Story

• #577: How Almost Nothing Changes Everything in Your Brand Storytelling, With Ryan Kohn · July 20, 2026 · 51 min
• #576: The Power of Pull: Find Customers Who Are Already Sold, With Rob Snyder · July 13, 2026 · 58 min
• #575: Elliott Rayner on Why 81% of Your Team Can't Tell Your Story · July 6, 2026 · 51 min
• #574: Jason Swenk: Own Your Business Before It Owns You! · June 29, 2026 · 46 min
• #573: A Tech Titan's Warning: Better AI Won't Save Us. Better Humans Will, With Brett Hurt. · June 22, 2026 · 55 min
• #572: How to Simplify Complex Ideas to Get Your People to Act, With Rob D. Willis · June 15, 2026 · 45 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Business of Story podcast page.