Become the Real Deal: The Proven Path to Influence and Executive Presence

7

Too Little

The Mouse

Tongue-tied with the boss

“I feel like I made a mistake,” Keisha told me. We were sitting outside on a beautiful fall day, surrounded by laughing, chatting students crisscrossing the bustling, elite university campus, but Keisha didn't seem to notice any of it. Her coffee sat untouched on the table. “I wish I could just go back to the foundation—but they've already filled my old job.”

“So why did you leave in the first place? Why did you take this position?” I asked, gently.

“This university made a big difference in my life. I worked hard to get here and it gave me so many opportunities. When they called and offered me a position, I felt like I'd have a chance to create those opportunities for today's students,” Keisha said.

“So why can't you say that to the school's potential donors? What's holding you back?”

This was literally the million-dollar question—actually, more like a multimillion-dollar question. Keisha's alma mater had recruited her to play a key role as the head of the development department. She'd previously worked for several nonprofits and had increased the fundraising of all the organizations she'd served.

Until now. In her current position, Keisha found herself tongue-tied in board meetings and consumed with stage fright at alumni events. She couldn't seem to come up with the kinds of innovative ideas that had made her so successful in the ...