Harvard Business Review Guides Ultimate Boxed Set (16 Books)

Be Yourself

Transparency wins people over. Though you’ll want to come across as smart and articulate, it’s even more important to be open and sincere so people will trust you and your ideas.

It’s OK if you’re nervous. Audiences are gracious. As business communication expert Victoria Labalme points out, they’ll “forgive a stumble, an ‘um,’ or a section where you backtrack as long as they know that your heart is in the right place.”

She adds: “Your audience wants you to be real. So avoid sounding like a corporate spokesperson—but don’t portray false humility, either. Playing small and meek when inside you know (and the audience knows) you’re a giant will not win you any fans. Authenticity means claiming who you are.”

If you love what you do, for ...