Amaro Araujo

Direct or Indirect? How to Adapt Without Offending

Fujitsu

Shell US

INEOS

Danone

Yoplait

BDM & Sales expert, published author & trainer with 20+ yrs in global B2B sales

Learn how to identify direct and indirect communication styles and what they signal in different cultures.

Spot direct vs. indirect styles across cultures

Discover how to adjust your tone to avoid friction—while staying clear, respectful, and true to your intent.

Adapt your tone without losing your message

Gain tactics to navigate group settings where communication expectations vary—without stepping on toes.

Handle mixed-style meetings with confidence

You want to present your ideas and opinions with unshakable confidence. You want to feel powerful in every room or zoom, but sometimes, when the moment is at hand, you start second-guessing yourself. You want to be both assertive yet kind. But you also don’t want to come across as pushy or a pushover. Maybe you’ve even spent the night counting the opportunities you missed instead of counting sheep. Or worse, you spent the night spiraling about that thing you regret saying.&nbsp;&nbsp;In this course, you'll learn how to step up without stepping on toes, inspire your employees to take meaningful action and captivate your boss with your words so your ideas are heard and valued. Whether you are delivering a presentation, leading a meeting, or having a difficult 1:1 feedback conversation, I’ll give you frameworks to help you with what to say and how to say it so you’re not just part of the conversation but leading it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Every lesson is live and is packed with opportunities to practice and refine your communication skills. You’ll learn how to take up space in the “right way.” And how to get your employees to be thanking YOU when you ask them to take on another project.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You will develop the communication skills that will help you drive your team’s success and earn that next promotion or raise!&nbsp; Next Cohort: July Cohort is Tuesdays at 2:30pm EST

The Ultimate Leadership Edge

Course Syllabus

Four 1-hour-long workshops<ul><li>Manager Mindset</li><li>Fruitful Feedback</li><li>Spellbinding Strategy &amp; Defining Decisions</li><li>Confident Collaboration</li></ul>

Tuesdays

Compact learning format for busy professionals

No required homework

Every session is recorded, so you can watch it on your own if you can't make the live session.

Can't make a session?

Course schedule

First-time managers (Congrats!) Develop the critical skills that differentiate a follower from a leader

Startup founders &amp; business ownersBuild a culture that will empower your employees to create their best work

Experienced leaders with a new team Quickly ﻿establish trust, improve productivity and amplify your influence

Who is this course for

You'll learn how to ...

Discover the most costly communication mistake most managers make in giving feedback and the seven-step formula to spark change.

Give feedback that actually results in change

Understand the psychology underneath great storytelling. Learn the technique politicians like Barack Obama use to make your message stick with limited time.

Develop spellbinding presentations & pep talks

The 5 key questions that will transform your relationship with your direct reports. Plus, the simple communication checklist that will help you optimize every meeting.

Run effective 1:1s & efficient meetings

Why trying only to control your employees is a waste of time and what you need to say instead that actually increases accountability and improves trust.

Improve employee engagement and productivity

The secret the best conflict negotiators know to surface issues before they become problems.

Breakdown unproductive conflicts and avoid misunderstandings

The simple tip for converting any task or project into a hero’s mission that employees want to take on.

Inspire employees with a clear & compelling mission

The 5-part formula to take your boss from questioning your ideas to following them.

Manage up with grace & power

Many people think charisma is only for extroverts, but I’ll give you two simple tools to increase your likability instantly. In the course you’ll get scripts and formulas to help you get started. And don’t worry, we’ll practice so you can sound natural when you use them.

Level up your confidence and charisma

🚀 Learn the 8 critical skills to make you a confident and compelling leader. 

Jess Goldberg

Teaches communication skills  @ Columbia University, Executive Coach & former VP in AI Robotics 

May 2025 

July 2025

You know you need to improve your communication and leadership skills, and your manager has highlighted this as a focus area. They know what got you here won't get you there (your next level). Your peers and cross-functional partners have subtly hinted at it or even included soft comments in your recent performance review. In the age of AI, your ability to communicate clearly, influence across teams, and lead with empathy is what sets you apart from automation. It’s not just a soft skill anymore — it’s your strategic advantage. You want to turn things around quickly, but don’t know where to start, and you’re not prioritizing it. Here’s what might happen if you don’t take action:↳You’ll miss out on visibility within the organization↳You’ll watch others grow and wonder what’s holding you back↳You’ll worry about being flagged as a low performer because your work isn’t visible↳Your confidence will diminish, leaving you feeling stuck, like you’re on a treadmill going nowhere↳You won’t advance to the next level, as strong communication and influence are essential for growth Luckily, there’s a solution for you now. Communication Engineering helps you achieve your communication and leadership goals and creates a feedback loop for measuring your behavioral changes. You’ll learn the 20% that drives 80% of your communication and leadership impact. I learned the English alphabet at age 11, in 5th grade. Despite that, I excelled in my career at Oracle and Meta by leveraging key communication and leadership frameworks. I’ve had the privilege of speaking to C-suite executives at Oracle and Meta and engaging with customers worldwide. If I could achieve this, imagine what you could accomplish! You can find the missing link to your career growth in this course. Many have found it's your turn now! Your&nbsp;peers&nbsp;from&nbsp;Amazon,&nbsp;Ellucian, Fidelity, Kitopi, Nvidia, Oracle, Ridecell, Salesforce, State Street, Kotak, Meta, Airbnb, EY, Nubank,&nbsp;and&nbsp;SAP&nbsp;have attended previous cohorts dialing in from Armenia, India, Ireland, Mexico, Poland, Hungary, Canada, Brazil, and the United States. Read the detailed syllabus and reviews by past participants on this page below. COURSE CONTENT:↳How to communicate complex topics in simple terms using proven frameworks↳How to be charismatic without coming across as salesy↳How to tailor your message to suit your audience↳How to ask thought-provoking questions that inspire change↳How to listen deeply and go beyond just words↳How to create a career growth plan↳How to establish a feedback loop within your organization↳How to secure agreements and hold people accountable without being pushy THE COURSE ALSO INCLUDES:↳Plenty of practice with peers↳Research-backed strategies that truly work↳Immediate encouragement and constructive feedback↳Real-life examples and common workplace scenarios↳A safe environment to make mistakes and foster a growth mindset↳Plus: Homework to apply concepts (including writing assignments)↳All four Zoom workshops are live and taught by Pramoda↳All the sessions will be recorded so you can refer back to the material WHO WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM THIS COURSE:↳You love learning by doing rather than just listening to lectures or reading books↳You are accountable and eager to share and learn from your peers↳You are self-aware, open-minded, and intellectually honest WHO THIS IS NOT FOR:↳This is not for you if you’re looking for 1:1 coaching. However, there will be plenty of Q&amp;A, and I’ll ask volunteers to share their situations/examples for group discussions↳This is not for you if you believe there’s nothing more to learn about structured communication and leadership development↳This is not for you if you’re seeking a quick fix without being willing to make small changes in your behavior This is a 4-week incremental course designed for an immersive experience. You will develop three communication habits in four weeks: authenticity, brevity, and clarity.

Communicate with Authenticity, Brevity, and Clarity: Establish a Growth Loop

Course syllabus

A 45-minute live lecture is followed by 75 minutes of practice, role-playing, and peer sharing in breakout rooms. The experience is like working out at a gym, and you'll build strong communication muscles.

Saturday

Senior ICs and Tech Leads who have challenges with concise and structured communication; either sharing too much or too little.

Technical Experts and PMs who work with customers and are unsure what questions to ask to clarify customer's needs and create clear agreemen

Managers and Technical Leaders who are looking for frameworks and tools for handling difficult conversations and managing conflicts.

What you’ll get out of this course

so you can confidently navigate workplace scenarios, saving time and effort by focusing on what matters most.

Learn easy-to-apply, proven frameworks for communication 

so you can engage effectively with colleagues and influence them, making you more impactful at work.

Develop conversational coaching skills through peer practice 

so you can effectively communicate your work, leading to greater fulfillment in your role.

Present ideas with clarity and brevity to your leadership team 

so you can measure growth with a feedback loop, which means you can partner with your manager for your career growth and promotion.

Build a personalized toolkit to enhance your leadership presence 

Think Like an Expert. Talk Like an Executive. Thrive in the AI Era.
 

Pramoda Vyasarao

Cohort 5

Cohort 6

But not everyone thinks the way you do, and you need the skills to be effective with everyone. Being your unfiltered self at work is like showing up in pajamas - comfortable, but not helping your career. Here's the truth: more than two-thirds of us are perceived differently than we intend at work. That gap is likely keeping you from achieving your goals - but you can fix it. In this live, cohort-based learning experience, you'll discover exactly how others perceive the strengths and weaknesses of your communication style. You'll practice concrete tools to help you adapt when needed. You'll leave knowing how to read any room and adjust your approach for maximum impact. Through live sessions, practical exercises, and real-world applications, you'll master the Communciations Comfort Zone framework. This isn't theory - it's a battle tested approach used by top performers to: 🏆 Win trust rapidly by identifying and breaking down communication barriers 💥 Approach challenging conversations with confidence 🤔 Stop wondering where conversations went wrong and learn to recognize the warning signs of misperception in real-time 🤖 Reinforce your learning and get suggestions post-course with our exclusive Communication Comfort Zone AI tool Want to learn more? Let's chat: https://calendly.com/sheilaosullivan/communication-style-course-exploratory-call-20-mins

Your authentic style is perfect - for people exactly like you.

Please plan to be live and on camera at this time

Two 1.5 hour sessions in one week, with an optional office hour/Q&A

Cohort participants will need to complete a self-rating survey. The assignment must be completed no later than 24 hours prior to the start of the cohort.

Prep work

New managers or managers taking on new teams who want to quickly understand the team, gain its respect and get results quickly.

The experienced executive who wants to coach young managers on leadership communication to help them reach their potential.

The individual contributor who wants to successfully influence others and advance ideas more effectively.

Who this is perfect for:

What you’ll actually learn

<ul><li>Discover exactly how others perceive your communication style</li><li>Identify where your natural tendencies help or hurt you</li><li>Get concrete tools to adapt your approach when needed</li><li>Access ongoing AI powered feedback post-course</li></ul>

See your blind spots clearly

<ul><li>Learn to read communication preferences in real-time</li><li>Spot potential conflicts before they arise</li><li>Adapt your communication to build trust quickly</li><li>Get practical scripts for different scenarios</li></ul>

Map your stakeholders effectively

<ul><li>Handle high-stakes conversations confidently</li><li>Move seamlessly between zones</li><li>Turn potential tension into productive dialogues</li><li>Practice with real-world scenarios in a safe environment</li></ul>

Master cross-zone communication

Being your authentic self at work: is it working for you or against you? It's both. Learn a proven model to persuade and win more often.

Sheila O'Sullivan

June 24-26 1pm ET

August 18 - 20 12pm ET

Stop tweaking words and sentences to craft the perfect report or email. 'Better writing' is not the solution. It's better thinking. Learn a repeatable strategy to clarify and convey complex ideas in any setting. Communicating becomes easy once you have extreme clarity about the message you actually need to convey.

Get out of the details to craft communication that cuts through with busy people

I offer a small mount of reading that will help you prepare for the workshop. It is not essential, but will help you get more out of it.

Optional Pre-work

Other time zones ... Thursday June 6 -<ul><li>New York - 6pm to 8pm</li></ul> Friday June 7 -<ul><li>Singapore - 6am to 8am</li><li>Sydney Australia - 8am to 10 am</li><li>Auckland - 10am to noon</li></ul>

Workshop Details

I offer extra tips and tools to help you apply the ideas we go through during the workshop.

Post Workshop Consolidation

Workshop details

Frustrated PMs experiencing slow responses to their emails, convoluted chains in messaging channels and miscommunication in meetings.

Ambitious experts who want to connect with decision makers, even when they don't share your technical expertise.

Professionals wanting to waste less time chasing for responses and fixing problems caused by miscommunication.

Learn how to structure your thinking to find and frame insightful messaging

We have a joke that the big idea is often buried at the bottom of page 47. This typically happens because the author hasn't prioritised what they really need to achieve with that communication.

Master a simple sentence that defines the outcome your communication must deliver.

Many famous people have said that if you can't say it in a sentence, you don't know it. It's true. You are also unlikely to get the response you need from busy leaders if you don't convey what matters in that single sentence.

Clarify and convey your main message so it jumps off the page. 

Visualise your messaging so it literally jumps off the page. Match the hierarchy of your messaging with the hierarchy of the formatting in your communication.

Structure your messaging so any audience can find it in 30 seconds.

Don't just learn about how to structure your messaging. Do it! We will practice and review the results together.

Practice synthesising your main message.

Do you fear losing your audience's attention? Or, worse: They pay no attention?
Communicating with extreme clarity is essential.

Davina Stanley

Clarity First Program

Learn to structure your thinking so your communication resonates with busy people.

Lightning Lessons

Direct or Indirect? How to Adapt Without Offending