Executive Presence and Strategic Communication Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Senior Managers, Department Heads and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-PE-002

Before you join: Participants should have several years of professional experience and regular responsibility for meetings, presentations, stakeholder communication or team leadership.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Senior managers are judged not only on the quality of their analysis, but on whether they can secure attention, frame decisions, handle challenge and create confidence when stakes are high. A sound proposal can stall when its purpose is unclear, its message is too detailed, or the presenter loses authority under questioning. Equally, change programmes, risk decisions and cross-functional priorities require communication that accounts for stakeholder interests, political sensitivities and competing demands.

This course develops the communication judgement and executive presence needed for board briefings, leadership meetings, stakeholder negotiations, change announcements and difficult conversations. Participants build messages using SCQA, the Pyramid Principle and message mapping; plan stakeholder engagement using power-interest analysis; deliver concise recommendations; and respond to objections without becoming defensive. The course also addresses vocal delivery, body language, virtual presence, data commentary, influence ethics, feedback and crisis communication.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with realistic cases, group analysis, presentation simulations, stakeholder role plays and individual feedback. Participants work with issues relevant to their own responsibilities, such as a proposed investment, regulatory concern, service change, technology programme or workforce decision. They leave with a personal executive presence development plan, a stakeholder communication plan and reusable templates for high-stakes messages and meetings. Delivery is instructor-led over five days, either in a classroom in 50+ cities or live online. Participants receive a certificate of completion.

The course suits experienced managers, senior specialists and executives whose work requires them to influence decisions beyond their direct authority. It is particularly relevant for leaders working with boards, regulators, clients, government bodies, donors, operational teams or cross-functional delivery groups.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess executive presence using observable credibility, clarity, composure and connection behaviours
  • Design stakeholder communication plans using power-interest mapping and audience analysis
  • Structure executive recommendations using SCQA, the Pyramid Principle and message maps
  • Deliver board-level briefings with clear decisions, evidence, risks and action requests
  • Apply ethical influence methods to secure commitment from senior stakeholders
  • Handle objections and difficult conversations using SBI, mutual purpose and de-escalation techniques
  • Communicate change and uncertainty through structured messages, Q-and-A preparation and update plans
  • Produce a 30-day executive communication development plan with feedback measures

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater authority and composure during senior-level meetings and presentations
  • Clearer recommendations that prompt decisions rather than extended discussion
  • A repeatable method for preparing difficult stakeholder conversations
  • Stronger ability to challenge ideas without damaging working relationships
  • Practical evidence for a personal leadership development discussion

For your organisation

  • Faster decisions through clearer executive recommendations and decision requests
  • Better sponsor alignment on programmes, investments and operational priorities
  • Fewer communication failures during change, incidents and sensitive announcements
  • More productive senior meetings with defined decisions, owners and deadlines
  • Consistent leadership messages across teams, functions and stakeholder groups

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can assess and strengthen the behaviours that create credible executive presence.

  • Executive presence assessed through credibility, clarity, composure and connection behaviours
  • Authority signals in voice, posture, pace, eye contact and stillness
  • Status dynamics distinguished from positional power during senior stakeholder interactions
  • First-impression planning for boardrooms, town halls and difficult meetings
  • Gravitas built through preparation, concise language and disciplined response timing
  • Self-awareness data gathered using stakeholder feedback and behavioural observation
  • Personal presence triggers identified before high-stakes communication moments

Participants can plan communications around stakeholder power, interests and decision requirements.

  • Communication objectives defined using audience, decision, action and risk criteria
  • Stakeholder maps separate sponsors, decision makers, influencers, blockers and affected groups
  • Power-interest grids guide message depth, channel choice and engagement effort
  • Audience analysis captures concerns, incentives, knowledge gaps and likely objections
  • Message framing links organisational priorities to stakeholder-relevant consequences
  • Political context assessed without speculation, labelling or premature escalation
  • Communication contracts establish purpose, roles, timing, confidentiality and decision rights

Participants can structure complex information into concise, decision-oriented executive messages.

  • SCQA structures transform complex issues into coherent executive narratives
  • Pyramid Principle sequences governing thought, arguments, evidence and supporting detail
  • Bottom-line-first openings state the decision, recommendation, rationale and required action
  • Three-message architecture maintains consistency across speeches, emails and briefings
  • Message maps test relevance, proof, memorability and anticipated challenge
  • Strategic narratives connect change programmes with operational consequences and commitments
  • Plain-language editing removes hedging, jargon, repetition and unsupported claims

Participants can lead meetings that produce clear decisions, commitments and accountability.

  • Decision-focused agendas distinguish information sharing, consultation, recommendation and approval
  • Pre-wiring secures input and identifies objections before formal decision meetings
  • Executive briefings open with recommendation, decision ask, evidence and risk
  • Signposting techniques maintain attention during technical or contested discussions
  • Interventions framed with assertion, evidence, implication and proposed next step
  • Meeting close-outs confirm decisions, owners, deadlines, dependencies and escalation routes
  • Concise follow-up notes preserve accountability and prevent decision drift

Participants can present recommendations and data in a form that supports senior decisions.

  • Board presentations designed around decision points rather than slide sequence
  • Storyboarding aligns audience questions, evidence, visuals and speaking transitions
  • Data commentary distinguishes observation, interpretation, implication and recommendation
  • Slide headlines state conclusions rather than topics or data labels
  • Visual hierarchy directs attention using contrast, proximity, alignment and whitespace
  • Speaker notes prepare transitions, examples, pauses and challenge responses
  • Time-boxed delivery protects discussion time and preserves final recommendations

Participants can select ethical influence strategies for stakeholders with competing priorities.

  • Cialdini's influence principles applied ethically to executive communication choices
  • Interest-based negotiation separates stated positions from underlying needs and constraints
  • Influence strategies combine credibility, coalition building, reciprocity and evidence
  • Stakeholder objections classified as factual, political, emotional or procedural
  • Reciprocity requests specify contribution, return value, timing and ownership
  • Coalition maps identify allies, persuadable stakeholders and committed opponents
  • Ethical boundaries distinguish persuasion, pressure, manipulation and undisclosed conflicts

Participants can address disagreement, poor performance and resistance while maintaining working relationships.

  • Crucial Conversations framework prepares dialogue around safety, facts and mutual purpose
  • SBI feedback names situation, behaviour and impact without character judgement
  • Ladder of Inference distinguishes observations, interpretations, assumptions and conclusions
  • De-escalation uses acknowledgement, calibrated questions, pauses and neutral language
  • Boundary statements address unacceptable conduct while protecting working relationships
  • Challenge responses acknowledge concerns, answer directly and return to purpose
  • Repair conversations rebuild trust through accountability, remedy and follow-through

Participants can communicate with authority and inclusion in live online and hybrid settings.

  • Camera framing, lighting and audio support authority in live online meetings
  • Virtual facilitation alternates briefing, questioning, annotation and decision checks
  • Chat, polls and breakout instructions create visible participation and accountability
  • Remote meeting protocols prevent multitasking, side conversations and unclear ownership
  • Hybrid sessions give remote participants equal access to information and airtime
  • Digital body language includes camera focus, response timing and written tone
  • Asynchronous video messages communicate decisions, rationale and next actions

Participants can communicate change and uncertainty with clarity, credibility and appropriate care.

  • Change messages explain rationale, personal impact, timing and available support
  • Bridges Transition Model distinguishes endings, neutral zones and new beginnings
  • Crisis statements separate confirmed facts, unknowns, commitments and update timing
  • Q-and-A preparation anticipates operational, reputational, legal and workforce concerns
  • Rumour control uses prompt correction, credible sources and repeatable messages
  • Spokesperson alignment prevents contradictory commitments across leadership teams
  • Escalation thresholds determine when uncertainty requires executive intervention

Participants can create a focused plan for improving executive communication after the course.

  • Communication audit identifies recurring high-stakes moments, audiences and failure patterns
  • Presence development goals translate feedback into observable weekly behaviours
  • Stakeholder communication plans specify outcomes, messages, channels, owners and dates
  • Message rehearsal checklists test brevity, evidence, delivery and decision requests
  • Thirty-day action plans schedule practice, feedback and progress review
  • Peer accountability arrangements establish observation criteria and follow-up conversations
  • Personal communication scorecards track clarity, influence, confidence and meeting outcomes

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Executive presence self-assessment checklist
  2. Stakeholder power-interest communication plan template
  3. SCQA and Pyramid Principle message planner
  4. Board briefing and decision-request template
  5. Difficult conversation preparation worksheet
  6. Thirty-day executive communication action plan

Who should attend

  • Senior Managers — need to gain decisions and commitment from peers and executives
  • Department Heads — need to communicate priorities, performance and change with authority
  • Programme Directors — need to align sponsors, delivery teams and affected stakeholders
  • Senior Technical Specialists — need to translate complex evidence into executive decisions
  • Public Sector Leaders — need to handle scrutiny, stakeholder interests and policy communication
  • High-Potential Leaders — need visible communication skills before taking broader leadership roles

Skills and tools covered

Executive presenceStrategic messagingStakeholder influenceBoard communicationDifficult conversationsChange communication

Tools and standards

SCQA framework, Pyramid Principle, Power-interest grid, Cialdini's Principles of Influence

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short briefings to introduce methods, followed by case analysis, group exercises, simulations and guided application. Participants prepare and deliver executive messages, receive structured feedback on content and presence, and practise responding to challenge in realistic scenarios. Cases may include board investment decisions, regulatory concerns, service changes, workforce issues and programme delays. Individual application planning connects course methods to upcoming meetings, presentations and stakeholder conversations. Classroom and live online delivery both include facilitated discussion and observed communication practice.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have several years of professional experience and regular responsibility for meetings, presentations, stakeholder communication or team leadership. They should be prepared to discuss real communication situations from their work, including decisions that require senior approval or cross-functional support. Prior formal training in presentation, negotiation or leadership is not required. The course does not require public speaking experience, personality profiling, theatre training or specialist software. It is not designed for participants seeking introductory business writing or basic meeting management training.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have professional experience involving meetings, presentations, team leadership or stakeholder communication. No previous presentation, negotiation or formal leadership course is required.

Bring examples of upcoming meetings, presentations, stakeholder issues or difficult conversations you need to handle. You may bring non-confidential slides, briefing notes or communication drafts for use during application activities.

The course is designed for senior managers, department heads, programme leaders and experienced specialists. It is especially useful for people who must influence decisions beyond their direct reporting line.

Presentation skills courses focus mainly on delivery to an audience. This course also covers stakeholder strategy, executive messaging, influence, difficult conversations, board briefings, virtual presence and communication during change.

Participants use current workplace situations to build messages, stakeholder plans and meeting approaches. The templates can be used for investment proposals, programme updates, change announcements, leadership meetings and sensitive conversations.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided between instructor input, analysis of realistic cases, communication simulations, peer feedback and individual planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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