logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2025
23m 7s

How to Talk so People Understand You

Essential Communications - Tom Henschel
About this episode

A leader is losing credibility with her senior leaders. Her boss thinks she can turn it around by learning the sorting tool that transformed him as a communicator, so he brings in the coach who taught him.


Sorting & Labeling! The grandaddy of all communication tools. If you can sort and label you will sound like a leader.


The four steps in Sorting & Labeling:

  1. Use a headline
  2. Use a number
  3. Label each number
  4. Transition with clarity


See it all for yourself in our free Sorting & Labeling infographic.


To all women who work in social or environmental change: Women’s Impact Alliance wants to support you. Check out their website to see all they ways they can help you succeed.


Coaches! Come join our Executive Coaching Special Interest Group. Check us out on the ICF-LA website. 


Categories of episodes that have more ways to help you talk so people understand you:

Communication Skills

Leading Teams

Presentation Skills


Five episodes that’ll speed you down the path:

106 - Communicating with Clarity

253 - How to Answer Questions Powerfully

65 - Sorting & Labeling

16 - Sounding Well-Spoken

20 - Staying on Track


Curious about coaching for yourself? We offer a special program for listeners. Reach out to Tom here.

 

Transcripts of this and every episode are available for free here. 


More resources are in our monthly email. Sign up here!


Until next time!


From The Look & Sound of Leadership team 

Up next
Nov 6
How to Motivate and Inspire
After a leader turns around the performance of one of his direct reports, he and his coach explore how it happened. And how to make it stick. Core ideas in the episode:Workplaces improve when positive feedback is presentOur natural human negative bias is a barrier to giving posit ... Show More
20m 47s
Oct 2
How to Guarantee Psychological Safety
A toxic boss destroys psychological safety on her team. One of her direct reports talks to his coach about how to survive. And how to keep his own team safe. Core ideas in the episode:Don’t take other people’s bad behavior personally.You are not a victim. You have choice.Document ... Show More
22m 44s
Sep 11
How to Supercharge Introversion
Concerned his introversion makes him less effective, a corporate vice president asks for coaching – from an extrovert! Together, the coach and client explore ways to assure his introversion is a strength.Myers Briggs Type Indicator assesses four preferences. One is Introversion a ... Show More
23m 50s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
706: How to Talk to People Who Intimidate You, with Shandy Welch
Shandy Welch: Leadership Coach Shandy Welch is an executive leadership coach. Her coaching focus is around humanizing leadership and re-engaging individuals and teams to inspire change and innovation. She is also a Coaching for Leaders Fellow. Most leaders find themselves — a ... Show More
39m 16s
Oct 2024
Master Executive Communication Speak with Confidence & Influence Using the Dell Hymes Speaking Model
<p> </p> <p>Sign up for group coaching and feedback sessions 🎤 </p> <p><a href="https://academy.explearning.co/plans/412279" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠https://academy.explearning.co/plans/412279⁠</a></p> <p><br /></p> <p>Join our community 🤩 <a href="https: ... Show More
47m 32s
Apr 2025
730: How to Take Initiative, with Tom Henschel
Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership Tom Henschel of Essential Communications supports senior leaders and executive teams. An internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace communications and self-presentation, he has helped thousands of leaders achieve exce ... Show More
36m 16s
Mar 2025
Struggling to Be Heard? Master Executive Presence & Speak with Confidence
<p>Boost your Communication Skills and get the life and job you want🤩 <a href="https://academy.explearning.co/landing/plans/1495891" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://academy.explearning.co/landing/plans/1495891</a>Are you tired of being overlooked in meetings? St ... Show More
11m 1s
Aug 2024
Are You Ready to Be a Leader?
What distinguishes a leader? How do you know if you’re ready to lead? And how do you make the transition into a leadership role? In this episode, two leadership coaches, Amy Su and Muriel Wilkins of Paravis Partners, explain how to develop a leadership presence that’s both authen ... Show More
59m 7s
Aug 23
3395: Communication Skills Every Tech Leader Needs
<p data-start="156" data-end="508">What do you do when your technical brilliance doesn't translate into clear, compelling communication? That's where Salvatore Manzi comes in. With a background in business communication and a career spent coaching leaders across tech, finance, an ... Show More
28m 38s
Jan 2022
Introductory Episode - A Little About Me and How I Will Improve You
"Send me a text message and let me know what you think of the First-Time Leaders Accelerated℠ Podcast."60% of first-time leaders fail, often due to overlooked prerequisites. If you are a first-time leader and want to avoid these common failures, this is your podcast. Welcome to F ... Show More
3m 19s
Oct 7
234. Need to Know: Lead With Transparency, Character, and Silence
<p><em>When it comes to leading a team, there’s no such thing as too much information.</em></p><p><br>Good leadership is about good communication. And for <a href="https://www.fastersmarter.io/guests/general-stanley-mcch/">General Stanley McChrystal</a>, that means creating a cul ... Show More
25m 12s
Mar 2025
The Truth About Bringing Your "Authentic Self” To Work - A Leadership Coach Explains
Work takes up more of our lives than almost anything else—so it’s no wonder that it can leave us feeling drained, stuck, and oftentimes further away from who we authentically are. This week, JVN is sitting down with leadership coach and author Mory Fontanez to unpack what it real ... Show More
49m 17s
Feb 2025
How to Develop Your Executive Presence
If you’re a leader or aspire to be one, you’ve probably thought about how you project confidence and competence. Your executive presence is as much a vibe you give off as it is a skill you develop. And it’s important to exhibit if you want to assure others you’re ready to lead. M ... Show More
44m 57s