PODCAST · business
The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure
by Dale Dixon
Most communication advice starts with what to say. The Presence Lab starts with what happens when a capable leader knows the material, the stakes rise, and pressure changes the way the message comes out. This podcast is for executives, founders, and senior leaders who want to stay clear, credible, and connected in board meetings, tough Q&A, media interviews, keynotes, difficult conversations, and on camera. Host Dale Dixon spent nearly 40 years in broadcast news and executive leadership and now coaches executives for high-stakes communication. Each episode takes one real pressure problem, explains what's happening underneath it, and gives you practical tools you can use before the next important moment. The goal is simple: make your preparation hold up when the room gets hard. Join the free Presence Lab community for Field Guides, practice drills, live Q&A, and a place to keep practicing.
Episodes
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Next Move - What to Do the Night Before a High-Stakes Meeting
Send us Fan Mail Picturing the big meeting going well can make it go worse. The night before a high-stakes meeting, the meeting shows up early. The CFO challenges the number, a board member asks the one question we hoped to dodge, and the scene stops right there, at the worst moment. Jaw tight,...
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The Fog - When Your Team Asks, "Is AI Taking My Job?"
Send us Fan Mail The go-to answer to "Is AI taking my job?" is "embrace it and you'll be fine." The people using AI the most are the ones most worried about losing their jobs. It happens at the end of a one-on-one, the morning after a headline, in a joke that isn't really a joke. Someone asks the...
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Rude - When Interrupting Is the Right Move
Send us Fan Mail Interrupting someone feels rude. Sometimes not interrupting is the bigger communication mistake. Dale Dixon learned that during about fifteen years in television news, where protecting the viewer sometimes meant cutting into an answer and bringing the conversation back to the...
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Why You Get Nervous When You Know the Material Cold
Send us Fan Mail You know the material. You’ve done the work. You may even be the most knowledgeable person in the room. So why do you suddenly get nervous when the stakes go up? Sometimes it isn’t a preparation problem. It’s because you quietly took on a second job. The real job is to…
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The Read - How to Tell What a Room Actually Means
Send us Fan Mail You notice the folded arms. The silence. The lack of questions. The person looking down at the table. You read the room. Then you make the dangerous leap: you decide what all of it means. In this episode of The Presence Lab, Dale Dixon shares a university classroom experience…
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When Your Company Screws Up: Own It, Fix It, Prevent It
Send us Fan Mail How does a bad decision survive the idea, production, internal review and final approval before somebody finally says, “We shouldn’t do this”? That’s the leadership question behind the Good Good Golf and Callaway controversy. A co-branded ad drew widespread backlash after…
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The Scorecard - How to Prove Your Communication Changed
Send us Fan Mail You can work hard on your communication and still leave the people around you experiencing the same behavior. That’s the uncomfortable problem with self-awareness: knowing what you want to change doesn’t prove that you changed it. In this episode of The Presence Lab, Dale Dixon...
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The Hedge - How to Sound Confident When You're Challenged
Send us Fan Mail You didn't lose your point. You watched yourself soften it. One skeptical look, and "we should do this" turns into "I think maybe we could look at this." For executives, founders, and senior leaders who already know their material, that reflex quietly costs you the room. So how…
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The Open - Fix the First 30 Seconds of Your Next Talk
Send us Fan Mail The opening of a talk isn't a scripting problem. It's a state problem. Here's what happens in the first thirty seconds, and three moves that keep your best material in reach when the pressure hits. Most speakers treat the opening of a talk as a writing problem. But you can have…
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Why Leaders Go Blank Under Pressure, and How to Recover
Send us Fan Mail You know the material. Then someone asks a difficult question, the room turns toward you, and your mind goes completely blank. Why does your mind go blank under pressure? More importantly, how do you recover without bluffing, rambling, or filling the silence with an answer you...
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The Grip - Why Letting Go Is the Skill Leaders Never Train
Send us Fan Mail Every leader believes the same thing under pressure: prepare hard enough, control enough of it, and you will finally be safe. It is exactly backwards. The tighter you grip the plan, the less you can do the moment the plan gets taken - and it always gets taken. This episode takes...
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The Dial - How Strong Leaders Turn Nerves Into Fuel
Send us Fan Mail Everyone tells you to calm down before the big moment. The research says that's the wrong instruction, and it's quietly costing you the edge you need. In the spring of 2017, Dale Dixon was pinned under a motorcycle on a mountain in Idaho, no cell service, his seventeen-year-old…
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The Pause: How Three Seconds Of Silence Builds Authority
Send us Fan Mail Get The Pause Field Guide, a free two-page companion with all three pauses, the training wheels line, and a seven-day tracker: https://www.daledixonmedia.com/pause Someone asks you a hard question and you start answering before they finish asking it. You make your salary ask…
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The Flinch: Why Leaders Soften Bad News and Lose Trust Anyway
Send us Fan Mail Every leader knows the moment. The reorg announcement, the roadmap cut, the budget town hall. And right before the hard sentence lands, something in us reaches for a sweetener. "But nobody's job is at risk." "It's really an opportunity." We soften the cost so we don't have to…
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The Communication Mistake Confident Leaders Don't Know They're Making
Send us Fan Mail Download the field guide:https://www.daledixonmedia.com/gap Experienced leaders rarely have a clarity problem they can feel. They have one they can't. Learn why your message stops landing once you leave the room, the body language that kills honest feedback, and three drills that...
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The Mirror: Why Your Body Language Undermines Your Leadership
Send us Fan Mail There is a version of you that walks into the room, and a version of you that everyone else actually experiences. The gap between them is usually something small. A sigh you didn't know you let out. An eye roll that fired off while you were thinking about a call you forgot to...
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How to Change Your Stress Response Under Pressure
Send us Fan Mail You don't have six personalities under pressure. You have one switch, challenge or threat, and your body flips it before you get a vote. In this episode, Dale opens with the assessment that told him a truth he'd been outrunning for years, and uses it to hand you something far…
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The Expert’s Curse: Why Smart Leaders Lose the Room
Send us Fan Mail The smartest person in the room is often the one most likely to lose it. Not because they lack expertise. Because they have so much knowledge in their head that they forget the audience cannot hear the full song playing in their mind. They only hear the taps on the table. In this...
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The Borrowed Voice
Send us Fan Mail Download the free resource guide: https://www.daledixonmedia.com/podcast I tell the story of the night my “authoritative” anchor voice turned into a Peter Jennings impression and made a normal studio feel like a cliff. Then I break down the research and the practical moves that...
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Why Leaders Speak Too Fast Under Pressure
Send us Fan Mail Download the free companion guide at: https://presencelab.sphereapp.com/login/ Find the free The moment a meeting gets tense, a strange thing happens to a lot of smart leaders: our pace speeds up, our breathing climbs into our chest, and we start trying to win the moment by...
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Why Smart Leaders Lose the Room
Send us Fan Mail Download the free Audience Load Map with a free membership to The Presence Lab: https://presencelab.sphereapp.com/ In this episode of The Presence Lab, Dale Dixon explains a common mistake among capable leaders: preparing to prove what they know instead of preparing for what the...
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Why Rehearsal Makes Some Leaders Worse
Send us Fan Mail Most public speaking advice focuses on content, rehearsal, and confidence. That helps, but it misses the real problem many senior leaders face in high-stakes moments: the nervous system gets first vote. In this episode of The Presence Lab Podcast, Dale Dixon explains why smart,...
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How to Communicate Under Pressure | Why The Game Changers Became The Presence Lab
Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of The Presence Lab, Dale Dixon explains why The Game Changers is evolving into a podcast focused on executive presence, leadership communication, and what really happens when pressure hits. This episode is about more than a new name. It is about a sharper...
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Sweating Bullets from AI
Send us Fan Mail My mind is a bit blown. I read about Google's newly released NotebookLM in Tim Ferriss' 5-Bullet Friday. Tim pitched it this way: "I know everyone is sick of hearing about AI, but if you haven’t heard this sample podcast, which was generated from a simple article, it will blow…
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Mastering the Game of Life: Strategic Personal Planning
Send us Fan Mail We unpack the power of having a Personal Game Plan. Discover the transformational impact of pinpointing your 'lead domino' goal to ignite momentum across all areas of your life. Let Eric's insights motivate you to streamline your focus, conquer distractions, and charge towards…
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Unleash Your Best: Strategies to Increase Employee Engagement and Boost Workplace Satisfaction
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dale and Eric discuss the Gallup 2023 workplace report on employee engagement. They highlight the concerning statistics that show a majority of employees are angry, stressed, and disengaged. They emphasize the importance of clarity in leadership and the need for...
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Reflection and Growth: Self-Evaluation Practices to Unlock Your Leadership Potential
Send us Fan Mail As leaders, we are constantly evaluating our teams, performance, and the external factors that affect our organizations. But how often do we take the time to evaluate ourselves? In this episode, we dive into the importance of self-evaluation for leaders and how it can unleash our...
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Winning the Game: The Importance of Starting Strong
Send us Fan Mail Eric and Dale explore the importance of starting strong in order to finish well in any endeavor. Eric shares his insights on what it means to truly start strong, emphasizing the value of being fully present and attentive in the moment. Using the concept of WIN as an acronym for...
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Unleashing Strategic Thinking: Allow the Future to Influence the Present
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of strategic thinking. We explore the concept of allowing the future to have a bigger influence on the present and how this mindset can lead to greater success. Eric shares his expertise on how to cultivate a culture of strategic...
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Embracing AI Disruption: The Power of Change Management in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we explore the disruptive forces shaping our world and how leaders can navigate them. Eric Boles and Dale Dixon unpack the key principles of change management and the role of AI in transforming businesses. From embracing transparency and addressing resistance to...
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Your Circle of Control
Send us Fan Mail Welcome to another episode of Game Changers, where we explore the strategies, mindsets, and actions that can truly transform our lives. In this episode, Dale and Eric Boles dive deep into the concept of focusing on what we can control to achieve our goals, particularly when it...
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Finish Strong
Send us Fan Mail We dive into the concept of maximizing your potential in those critical moments when the game is on the line. Eric shares an unconventional perspective on finishing strong, urging us to focus on the smaller details rather than solely relying on increased intensity. Drawing on...
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Staying Calm, Cool & Collected Under Pressure
Send us Fan Mail In a captivating episode of "The Game Changers Podcast," Dale Dixon and Eric Boles explore the profound facets of sports psychology and its applications beyond just sports. The discussion underscores the importance of implementing psychological strategies at home, work, and…
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The Importance of Fitness To Unleash Your Best
Send us Fan Mail The Game Changers Podcast with Eric Boles and Dale Dixon returns after a hiatus, and in this latest episode, they delve into the topic of fitness. Eric Boles, who coaches leaders to unlock their potential, shares his personal fitness routine, emphasizing the importance of...
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Three Questions Every Leader Must Ask
Send us Fan Mail Explore three fundamental questions every leader must ask. Discover how to overcome internal biases, challenge yourself to grow, and learn to create a winning environment in this thought-provoking and inspiring podcast. Subscribe, rate, review, and share with your team to unleash...
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Possibility and Probability
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, learn how embracing possibilities and turning them into probabilities can propel you to achieve greatness. From the inspiring journey of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the vital importance of daily reps and small actions, this podcast will reshape your perspective and...
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Feedback: The Right Words at the Right Time
Send us Fan Mail Unleash your best in life and work with the Game Changers Podcast! Join Eric Boles and Dale Dixon as they explore the power of feedback and the importance of timing. Discover how the right words at the right time can transform your leadership and personal growth. From positive...
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Seeing is Believing
Send us Fan Mail In the latest episode, Eric Boles and Dale Dixon explore the transformative concept of "seeing is believing," and how it impacts our attitudes and actions. Through an engaging anecdote about a flight experience, they highlight the importance of perception and how it shapes our...
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The Power of Rest
Send us Fan Mail Rest is a game-changer in life and work. In this episode of The Game Changers podcast featuring Eric Boles and Dale Dixon, Eric discusses the challenges of practicing rest and the importance of recovery. The conversation highlights how busyness can hinder productivity and...
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Mindset Reset
Send us Fan Mail A mindset reset means getting into the weeds of how we define growth. Everything outside of us is pushing us to go faster, to move quicker. Slowing down and taking the time to actually think is how to start the reset. Eric and Dale dive into the details. Support the show
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The Courage to Fight for Clarity
Send us Fan Mail If you've ever caught yourself saying, "I thought we talked about this and all agreed...," when working through a misunderstanding, this episode is for you. Eric and Dale real-world examples of how the lack of clarity is impacting so many organizations and what you, as a leader,...
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Hard Work
Send us Fan Mail This episode may rock your thinking about what hard work really is ... and isn't. Eric Boles and Dale Dixon talk through the concept that hard work is not long hours... it's about impact and getting things done. Support the show
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Be Ready
Send us Fan Mail Be ready, so you don't have to get ready. How do we prepare to grab opportunities when presented. You can't be preparing for the opportunity when it arrives. Anticipate movement. Anticipate. Be quick, but not in a hurry. Eric Boles lays out a game plan to keep your team prepared…
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Human Becoming
Send us Fan Mail How does productivity and true teamwork get better in light of buzzwords and the good intentions of diversity and inclusivity? In this game changing approach, Eric Boles and Dale Dixon dive into the courage to show up, understanding we're all individuals with rich experiences ......
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Connecting Head and Heart for High Performance
Send us Fan Mail The higher the esteem level, the higher performing the team. In this episode, Eric and Dale detail five ways a leader can inspire those around them to higher levels of success by building esteem. Support the show
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The Most Powerful Psychological Tool
Send us Fan Mail Have you noticed the ability to be objective and critically think through topics and issues is rapidly disappearing from society, especially in the U.S.? Screaming heads on TV. All or nothing politics. The work being done to trigger emotion, segment people into all-or-nothing...
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Get Stuff Done
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of "The Game Changers" podcast, Eric Boles and Dale Dixon dive deep into the topic of productivity and getting things done. As successful business leaders, Eric and Dale have learned the power of productivity and how it can transform your business and personal…
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Run Through The Doorway of Fear
Send us Fan Mail Fear is a doorway you walk through, not a house you live in. How do you break through the doorway to get past the fears of failure and rejection? The answer is in this podcast through a powerful story of a mentor, key questions and the courage to take the first step. Support the...
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Do Hard Things
Send us Fan Mail Does seeking the convenient and easy keep us from true success? In this episode, Eric and Dale lay out a game plan for embracing seeking out and embracing challenges to build resiliency and create a game changing life. Support the show
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Requires No Talent
Send us Fan Mail Supercharge your team with an approach that requires no talent. Clarity is the powerful tool to create success in your leadership. Clarity takes no talent. But, it takes tremendous skill. In this episode, learn how to develop the clarity skill with a set of specific tools to use...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Most communication advice starts with what to say. The Presence Lab starts with what happens when a capable leader knows the material, the stakes rise, and pressure changes the way the message comes out.
This podcast is for executives, founders, and senior leaders who want to stay clear, credible, and connected in board meetings, tough Q&A, media interviews, keynotes, difficult conversations, and on camera.
Host Dale Dixon spent nearly 40 years in broadcast news and executive leadership and now coaches executives for high-stakes communication. Each episode takes one real pressure problem, explains what's happening underneath it, and gives you practical tools you can use before the next important moment.
The goal is simple: make your preparation hold up when the room gets hard. Join the free Presence Lab community for Field Guides, practice drills, live Q&A, and a place to keep practicing.
HOSTED BY
Dale Dixon
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure have?
The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure currently has 302 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure about?
Most communication advice starts with what to say. The Presence Lab starts with what happens when a capable leader knows the material, the stakes rise, and pressure changes the way the message comes out. This podcast is for executives, founders, and senior leaders who want to stay clear, credible,...
How often does The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure release new episodes?
The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure publishes regularly with 302 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure?
You can listen to The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure?
The Presence Lab | Executive Communication Under Pressure is created and hosted by Dale Dixon.
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