In this episode, I sit down with Laura Sicola, author of Speaking to Influence, to talk about something I hear in almost every organization: “We need to communicate better.”

Everyone agrees. Everyone nods. And then everyone goes back to the same habits.

Laura and I dig into why communication so often misses the mark, especially in healthcare environments where people are tired, rushed, and under real pressure. We talk about the illusion that communication has occurred, and why what you intend to say often has very little to do with what people actually hear.

We explore the expert’s curse, how deep expertise can work against you and the habit many leaders fall into of talking to themselves while other people are in the room. If you’ve ever left a meeting wondering how the message got twisted, this will feel familiar.

We also get into executive presence. What it really is, why it matters, and how leaders can develop it. Laura offers practical ways to see how you’re actually coming across, not how you think you are, and we talk candidly about the double standard many women face in leadership.

We close with a reframing of branding for healthcare leaders. Laura offers a definition worth sitting with: a brand is the promise of an experience, consistently delivered.

This is an episode you’ll want to listen to more than once, with ideas you can use immediately in meetings, huddles, and the conversations that matter most.