Conceivian

How To Kill Being Nice at Work

Microsoft

Capria

Saqib Rasool

CEO at Conceivian | Ex-PM at Microsoft
 

Reclaim your power and learn how to be direct and speak with authority.

Master Your Executive Voice

Don't tolerate BS at work & develop more authentic relationships. Build trust & respect for better teamwork.

Foster Meaningful Relationships

Identify moods such as resentment, heroic suffering, & inauthentic serenity. Learn techniques to transform these moods.

Recognize and Transform Disempowering Moods

These are all the things that are possible when you learn to have hard conversations that are both honest (from your perspective) and also genuinely caring of the person you are speaking to. Relying on the Lao Tzu principal that, “The best way to do is to be," the first half of the workshop focuses on shifting&nbsp;essential mindsets before mapping out the speaking and listening&nbsp;required for better conversations, better relationships, and better results at work and beyond. The end-result is a step-by-step system for how to untangle one’s thinking, speak up, and listen to understand.

Suffer less. Have better relationships. Get more done. 


Noticing when you're in a reactive state and committing to doing nothing until you have come back to center. That thing you feel compelled to do? Don’t do that thing!

Come Back to Center First


Reflecting deeply on how you feel and what you really care about.&nbsp;

Find Your Deeper Truth


Shifting the focus from outer circumstances to what you want and what you can do about it. Turning all complaints into requests.

Remember You Are Powerful


Rigorously separating facts from inferences. Becoming more curious about how others legitimately see things differently.

Be More Curious


Turning meaningless stuffing into a meaningful trial or initiation by making every challenging conversation a chance to demonstrate who you are at your best.

Make it Meaningful


Facts, feelings, opinion, deeper truth, suggestion. Expressing yourself with honesty and care, both.

Speak Up


Silence, inquire, summarize, validate, pause.&nbsp;Listening to understand, not to convince.

Listen to Understand


Developing obsessive clarity around who is going to do what by when. Managing breakdowns with integrity.

Bombproof Commitments


Course syllabus

February 24


February 25, 26, 27


February 28


March 28


Pre-work and homework


Course schedule

Anyone who wants to suffer less and feel more freedom around difficult situations and conversations

Anyone who finds themselves ruminating or worrying about things they are thinking but don't know how to say

Anyone who has no problem speaking their mind, but often gets feedback that they can be too blunt or even harsh

Who this course is for


What you’ll get out of this course

A step-by-step framework for how to untangle your thinking, speak up about anything, and listen to understand


Confidence to speak up about anything important in a way that’s clear, sincere, caring, and aligned with your values. 


Stronger relationships and healthier team/organizational cultures


Increased individual awareness, productivity, happiness and wellbeing.


How to speak up about anything, at work and beyond.


Jenna Buffaloe, J.D., M.A. 


Speaker, Workshop Leader and Executive Coach 


Cohort 4

Cohort 5

Welcome! Unlock your potential as a leader with our comprehensive course on Executive Presence and Communication. Designed for emerging leaders and seasoned professionals alike, this course focuses on developing the key traits that distinguish impactful leaders. You will learn to communicate with clarity and confidence, and project authority in every interaction. Through practical exercises, use cases, and real-world examples, we will explore the essentials of effective body language, voice control, and emotional intelligence. The course offers numerous practice scenarios to help you apply what you've learned in realistic contexts, along with live Q&amp;A sessions and events to deepen your understanding and engagement. By the end of the course, you will be equipped with the tools to influence and inspire others, manage high-stakes conversations, and project gravitas. Join us to enhance your leadership capabilities, build authentic connections, and drive your career success. --- Expected outcomes: ﻿- Enhanced Communication Skills: Clear, confident, and effective communication- Improved Body Language: Learning to use non-verbal cues to project authority and confidence.- Build Emotional Intelligence: Learn a proven method to understand others and manage your own in difficult times.- Influence and Persuasion: Techniques to effectively persuade and motivate others.- Increase Your Power and Confidence: Build self-assurance to lead and influence others effectively. --- Real World TestedMany of the tactics and examples included are gleaned from Yue's personal experience as a C-level executive and coaching hundreds of other senior executives and leaders. Course content is also based on Yue's personal experiences building her executive presence as a double minority to get promoted from PM to CPO in less than 15 years, landing mission-critical roles at Tier 1 startups and Meta alike. Proven method with 100+ clients and workshop attendees to increase your impact at work while decreasing stress and avoiding burnout. --- Alumni from: Slack, OpenAI, Instacart, Guild Education, SurveyMonkey, Paypal, Braze, Meta, Instagram, Thumbtack, Sequoia-backed Tier I Startups, Google, Capitol One, Figma, Microsoft, and more. Well-loved and EffectiveA version of this course was run on Reforge with 90% promoters for the content and 98% promoters for the instructor. -----This is one of three Maven courses by Yue designed to help women and minority leaders fast-track to the C-suite. * Mastering Executive Presence &amp; Communication: https://maven.com/yuezhao/execpre* Chart Your Path to Executive Leadership: https://maven.com/yuezhao/superpowers* Self-Advocacy and Influencing Upwards: https://maven.com/yuezhao/selfadvocacy For more, Yue also runs The Uncommon Executive Leadership Launchpad, an 8-week leadership transformation program that helps women and minority leaders fast-track to executive levels. The program covers the topics above and adds additional topics like sponsorship, relationship building, and building sustainability in your career. It also combines curriculum with coaching and community in a way you will not find anywhere else. Check out the full program here: https://www.yuezhao.coach/accelerate ----

Gain Respect, Inspire Confidence, and lead with Greater Impact

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

If your events are recurring and at the same time, it might be easiest to use a single line item to communicate your course schedule to students

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Feel free to type out dates as your title as a way to communicate information about specific live sessions or other events.

May 7, 2022

Schedule items can also be used to convey commitments outside of specific time slots (like weekly projects or daily office hours).

Weekly projects

Senior Managers, Directors, and Principal ICs who aspire to be executives. Min 4 years of work experience.

Those feeling overlooked or talked over, and want to increase their power and influence in their organization

Those who want to better manage and control a room, get noticed and get ahead.

Who is this course for

Learn why executive presence and communication are important for career advancement. Know the components that make up executive presence and how to apply them effectively in verbal communication.

Which areas of executive presence you need to focus on most

80%+ of communication is non-verbal. Maintain a powerful posture at the table and virtually. Have your presence acknowledged. Learn to use your appearance to your advantage. Accessorize your way to visibility and power.

Tailored approaches to polish your appearance and posture to gain respect

Improve your body language, voice control, and emotional intelligence. Learn how to develop a commanding presence, gain respect, and improve your leadership capabilities.

Communicate like a C-suite executive

Learn how to effectively facilitate board reviews, C-suite conversations, and large group meetings. Balance listening with action, directness with kindness.

Manage High-Stakes Conversations

Women and Minorities have additional challenges they face when it comes to holding power and influence. Learn unique tactics for balancing gender and cultural norms and contradictory expectations!

Overcome biases women & minorities face

Maintain and enhance executive presence during virtual meetings. Tips on appearance, background, technology, and communication techniques to increase your power through video.

Tactics for virtual and remote-first workplaces

Develop a commanding presence and gain respect. Increase your gravitas, manage high-stakes conversations, and get your ideas heard.

Yue Zhao

Oct24 - ExecPres

Dec24 - ExecPres

You're an ambitious professional who knows the power of executive presence but you're stuck, unsure how to boost your leadership influence and take your career to the next level. What’s holding you back? → Doubts in high-stakes moments→ Struggling to command attention→ Being overlooked in meetings and presentations→ Lacking a clear strategy for influence Ever wondered... → Why colleagues with less experience seem to get ahead?→ How to project authority without feeling like you're constantly proving yourself?→ What you're missing to truly be taken seriously by peers and senior leaders? If any of this sounds familiar, this course is for you! You'll learn: → How to radiate confidence in any setting—from team meetings to the boardroom.→ Proven strategies to build trust and influence with senior leaders.→ Techniques that make people listen and value your input. What you’ll get: → Step-by-step guidance on elevating your presence, so you walk into any room with confidence.→ Tools to improve your communication and leave a lasting impression.→ Strategies to build stronger relationships and expand your influence, no matter where you are in your career. READY TO TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER? You'll go from being overlooked to being a trusted, influential leader. You'll develop the presence needed to get promoted faster, lead more effectively, and create real impact within your organization.

Higher-Paying Jobs, Get Promoted, & Gain Confidence to Lead

Oct 9, 16, 23 - Wednesdays

Weekly interactive homework assignments

Weekly homework

People Managers (Managers, VPs, directors) looking to break into senior leadership roles by developing the executive presence

Newly Promoted Leaders transitioning from technical or individual contributor roles who need to refine their leadership communication

Entrepreneurs &amp; Founders aiming to build trust with investors, clients, and teams by mastering executive presence to pitch ideas and lead ef

Professionals who feel overlooked in meetings or presentations and want to build the confidence to lead and inspire

You'll develop the confidence and gravitas to command attention in any professional setting, ensuring you make a lasting impact on peers and leadership.

Enhanced Executive Presence

Learn to communicate with clarity, authority, and purpose, ensuring your ideas are heard, valued, and acted upon.

Improved Communication Skills

Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and senior leaders, gaining their trust and increasing your influence within the organization.

Increased Influence & Trust

With stronger executive presence, you’ll position yourself for faster promotions, leadership roles, and high-visibility opportunities.

Accelerated Career Growth

Learn how to command attention, inspire trust, and elevate your leadership presence to new heights. 

Hetali Mehta

Monica Aggarwal

Cohort 1

Cohort 2

Early in your career:-- You are rewarded for working harder and independently solving problems.-- You earn more credibility by knowing more and demonstrating domain expertise.-- You get more scope (and promoted!) by taking on more with a “can-do” attitude. But that all changes as an executive:-- You build and lead teams and systems to solve problems rather than do the work yourself.-- You ask questions of the experts to manage trade offs across different domains.-- You decide on the top strategic priorities to address, and deliver results through others by mobilizing and coordinating people across different functions and perspectives. What’s particularly difficult about this transition is that nobody prepares you for it; you are expected to just figure it out. I’ve had many clients come to me in frustration that they are no longer exceeding expectations as they once were, and I’m the first person to tell them that their job has changed. I’ve also had clients who feel stuck and can’t figure out what is keeping them from reaching their next level of leadership. This class is designed to share the secrets of this transition with a wider audience. In this course, you will learn how to:-- Develop the presence to walk into board meetings and command respect.-- Effectively influence a broader range of stakeholders by speaking to their interests.&nbsp;-- Create a roadmap towards your ideal job rather than just climbing a ladder that others define.-- Design an inspirational vision so you can ask for the help you need to create it.-- Increase your trust in your resilient capacity to handle difficult situations and conversations.-- Articulate the values and principles that guide your decision making.-- Design structures and processes to scale your leadership in alignment with your values.-- Focus on what really matters and say no to everything else. The material in this class is based on my personal experience working with the top leaders of Google as the Search Ads Chief of Staff, as well as coaching over a hundred clients to greater scope and promotions. Scroll down for testimonials. How you will get the most value:This is not a sit back and listen course. We will have active discussions in class, and I will expect you to experiment with putting what we discuss into practice between sessions. The more you engage, the more benefit you will get. This course is not for you if you expect me to hand you the answers. The real value of the course will be in your reflection and engagement between our live sessions. As I say to all of my coaching clients, "Nothing changes because we talk. Your life will change when _you_ change your life." Bonus material:-- A free copy of my book, You Have A Choice: Beyond Hard Work to Meaningful Impact-- Video recording of all live sessions via the Maven platform-- A private Slack group to connect with your cohort and share insights between sessions and after the workshop completes.&nbsp;-- Discounted 1:1 coaching sessions with Eric

Being effective as an executive requires embracing new mindsets and skills

The classes will be structured as 1 hour of content and live coaching from Eric and Q&amp;A, and an optional 30 minutes of breakout groups where you can discuss the ideas with your peers and practice coaching each other. Jan. 16, 23, 30Feb. 6, 13

Live class sessions on Thursdays

Between sessions, I expect students to practice the skills we discuss, applying them in their day-to-day professional interactions. I will also challenge them to experiment with changing their default behaviors and responses to certain situations, to help them develop new skills.

Weekly practices and experiments

You're a C-level leader at an early-stage startup, a VP at a later-stage startup, or a director or senior IC at a bigger company.

Your performance feedback no longer celebrates your expertise and effort, and instead focuses more on strategy, influence, and presence.

You are working harder and longer but falling further behind. Doing more isn't sustainable so you need to find a new way to get things done.

This course is for you if: 

Changing your mindset will allow you to generate results from your organization without you being directly involved. By learning how to align your team behind your vision and values, you will understand how to lead hundreds of people with a unified purpose.

How to scale your leadership to create greater team and company impact

Develop the presence to walk into board meetings and command respect.

Increased confidence and executive presence.

Success as an executive depends on working cross-functionally with other leaders to deliver company results. I will help you build the skills to effectively influence a broader range of stakeholders by speaking to their interests.&nbsp;

Greater influence across the leadership team. 

Learn to co-create a collaborative vision of what needs to happen, secure commitments to that vision from relevant stakeholders, then hold them accountable to help you create it.

How to deliver on complex projects through influence and persuasion rather than control.

By understanding your own triggers and limiting beliefs, you will increase your resilient capacity to handle difficult situations. I will help you develop the key skill of accepting people and circumstances as they are, rather than as you wish they were.

How to better handle difficult conversations, including political conflict, while remaining calm. 

Instead of climbing a career ladder defined by others and anchoring on external metrics like title and compensation, you will look inward to understand what motivates and energizes you. Then, you will create a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/creating-work-you-want-eric-nehrlich-hv2ue/?trackingId=8FGSN37KQ6uJu4EG5HEB7A%3D%3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">roadmap towards a more meaningful and satisfying job</a>.

A path for continued career growth without working unsustainable hours.

​Succeeding as an executive requires a completely different mindset than what brought you success early in your career. 

Lightning Lessons

How To Kill Being Nice at Work