This past weekend I hosted six top thinkers in NYC for the Elite Group Experience…a transformational executive presentation skills training session with a live component here in the city.

It was an extraordinary experience–for them and for me.

What we all learned and what we always learn again and again in our lives is that speaking from the heart, speaking authentically, is powerful beyond measure.

Beyond measure.

The resonance of an honestly shared thought carries weight and meaning far beyond what we can imagine.
 
What also emerged in this exploration of authenticity was the sheer joy of tapping into your unique hobbies and talents.

There’s a tendency to think that authenticity requires being serious.

But authenticity is also about accepting our own surprising interests and backgrounds — those “bright colors” in the “prism” that comprises who we are — whether those elements be hunting or studying politics, sailing or drumming, being in nature or watching a certain type of TV show.

The trick is finding the techniques to translate these distinct elements into valuable, applicable information — drawing the analogies, parallels, examples and inherent
lessons for your audience.

By the end of our Executive Mastery Series Elite Group Experience, the realization that people could translate “experience into information” left everyone feeling open, relaxed and full of grinning excitement.

There was a new current of electricity and anticipation as people talked about their next presentation. The ultimate recognition: Who they are is what they can (and must) bring to the audience.