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Every leader at one stage or another has to make a stand-up presentation to a group. This is an integral part of being a good leader. 

To deliver an excellent presentation:

1. Create your presentation

by researching your topic, gathering applicable anecdotes, and talking to colleagues who have the information you need.

2. Develop an outline with three parts

• The beginning – where you tell them what’s coming.
• The middle – where you explain what you’re saying.
• The end – where you remind them of your key points.

3. Structure your argument

which will be a mix of logic, reasons, and projected results of your suggestions. Your argument should be able to be expressed in one sentence and should be a mix of fact and personality.

4. Specify your persuasive message

what you actually want listeners to do after hearing your presentation. You need to have clear in your mind what actions you want people to take if you hope to be effective.

5. Develop the first draft of your presentation

while keeping in mind your answers to a few pertinent questions:

• What is your central message?
• Why are you giving this presentation?
• What analogies are you using to amplify your message?
• Which visual images are available to illustrate things?
• What specific call to action will you close with?

6. Revise your draft

by rewriting it yourself or sharing it with colleagues and asking for their input. You may also give your boss a heads-up look at your presentation to make certain you’re on track.

Venue and formal style

While developing your presentation, you’ll also need to keep in mind how and where it will be delivered. Those factors will determine how formal or informal your presentation should be. 

Many corporate leaders do both – they have a brief prepared presentation which is of a formal nature and then open it up for questions-and-answers, which will be quite informal in nature.

The venue you will be using will also have an impact in this area, as will the size of your audience and the circumstances in which you are meeting.

Body language is essential in many situations. Some would argue that it is just as important as what you say.

When we are in stressful or uncomfortable situations, many of us have habits that can be distracting to other people. Certainly, biting one's nails or continuously fidgeting with one's hands could be distracting from what you are trying to say. These are examples of body language that can be harmful in an interviewing situation, for example. Used correctly, however, body language can reinforce what you are saying and give a more significant impact on your statements. 

The following are tips to help you give the right non-verbal clues.

1. The Greeting

Giving a "dead fish" handshake will not advance one's candidacy: neither will opposite extreme, the iron-man bone crusher grip.

The ideal handshake starts before the meeting actually occurs. Creating the right impression with the handshake is a three-step process. Be sure that:

• Your hands are clean and adequately manicured.
• Your hands are warm and reasonably free of perspiration. (There are a number of ways to ensure this, including washing hands in warm water at the interview site, holding one's hand close to the cheek for a few seconds, and even applying a little talcum powder.)
• The handshake itself is executed professionally and politely, with a firm grip and a warm smile. Remember that if you initiate the handshake, you may send the message that you have a desire to dominate the conversation.
• Use only one hand; always shake vertically. The right hand is international standard.

2. Facial Signals

We are using a set of stereotypes that enables us to make judgments -- consciously or unconsciously -- about a person's abilities and qualities. Those judgments may not be accurate, but they are usually difficult to reverse.

Tight smiles and tension in the facial muscles often bespeak an inability to handle stress; little eye contact can communicate a desire to hide something; pursed lips are often associated with a secretive nature; and frowning, looking sideways, or peering over one's glasses can send signals of haughtiness and arrogance.

3. The Eyes

Looking at someone means showing interest in that person, and showing interest is a giant step forward in making the right impression.

Your aim should be to stay with a calm, steady, and non-threatening gaze. Rather than looking the speaker straight-on at all times, create a mental triangle incorporating both eyes and the mouth; your eyes will follow a natural, continuous path along the three points. Maintain this approach for roughly three-quarters of the time; you can break your gaze to look at the interviewer's hands as points are emphasized, or to refer to your note pad.

4. The Head

Rapidly nodding your head can leave the impression that you are impatient and eager to add something to the conversation. Slower nodding, on the other hand, emphasizes interest, shows that you are validating the comments of your partner. Tilting the head slightly, when combined with eye contact and a natural smile, demonstrates friendliness and approachability.

5. The Mouth and Smile

One guiding principle of good body language is to turn upward rather than downward. Look at two boxers after a fight: the loser is slumped forward, brows knit and eyes downcast, while the winner's smiling face is thrust upward and outward. The victor's arms are raised high, his back is straight, his shoulders are square. In the first instance the signals we receive are those of anger, frustration, belligerence, and defeat; in the second, happiness, openness, warmth, and confidence.

Your smile is one of the most powerful positive body signals in your arsenal; it best exemplifies the up-is-best principle, as well. Offer an unforced, confident smile as frequently as opportunity and circumstances dictate. Avoid at all costs the technique that some applicants use: grinning idiotically for the length of the interview, no matter what. This will only communicate that you are either insincere or not quite on the right track.

6. The Hands

Proper use of the hands throughout the conversation will help to convey an above-board, "nothing-to-hide" message. Watch out for hands and fingers that take on a life of their own, fidgeting with themselves or other objects such as pens, paper, or your hair. Pen tapping is interpreted as the action of an impatient person; this is an example of an otherwise trivial habit that can take on immense significance in an interview situation.

7. The Moves

Here are general suggestions on good body language:

• Walk slowly, deliberately, and tall upon entering the room.
• Use mirroring techniques. In other words, make an effort to reproduce the positive signals your counterpart.
• Do not hurry any movement.
• Relax with every breath.

Unless a leader can establish his or her credibility, anything they say will be of little consequence. 

1. To enhance your credibility:

• Always be yourself – and be the speaker you are rather than trying to replicate someone else.
  
  
• Take your message seriously – but don’t take yourself too seriously. Audiences love it when a speaker makes a joke at their own expense. This builds instant rapport.
  
  
• Always reflect the mood of the circumstances – that is, be serious when the chips are down and upbeat when things are going well.
  
  
• Use your voice advantageously – by avoiding a monotone. Inject some voice inflections to add interest. You can fine-tune this by recording yourself speaking and seeing how you come across as a speaker.
  
  
• Use good body language – by getting out from behind the podium and wandering about the stage. You should also pay careful and deliberate attention to maintaining good (but not overbearing) eye contact. And emphasize what you’re saying by using appropriate gestures. Again, it may be helpful to videotape yourself in action and critique yourself.
  
  
• Rehearse your presentation – ideally in the same venue at which you’ll be making your presentation. Get all the wrinkles out with a good dry run first. 

In addition to increasing credibility, these suggestions also convey authenticity. A good leader-communicator will also be adept at selling their message and engaging the passions of the audience.

2. To enhance your authenticity:

• Asking frequent questions – to gauge interest and connect to the audience. Also you can ask a question and answer by yourself when presenting to a bigger audience.
  
  
• Using symbols, illustrations and metaphors that make the benefits come to life for the audience – so they not only hear what you’re saying but also visualize the benefits vividly and with passion.
  
  
• Paying careful attention to grooming – because that can have a direct impact on your credibility. For example, a union boss addressing a group of construction workers would never wear a tie because that is the symbol of management. There are loads of similar conventions to keep in mind.
  
  
• Using music – to remind the audience who they are as people and what common values they share.
  
  
• Respecting the power of silence – to underscore key points, to show respect, or to allow people sufficient time to reflect on what’s being said.

In many ways, leadership messages are a form of theater. Great leaders arise to the occasion. They take their message from a logical level to an emotional level through the use of symbols and images that resonate with the audience. Leaders have a foundation of passion and commitment, which comes through in everything they say. They then use a set of communication tools to convey that passion to others, along with an invitation to act accordingly.

1. Listen Attentively

Listen without interruptions. Lean forward, face the person speaking directly, nod, smile, and be agreeable.

When you nod and smile, you encourage them to keep speaking and to expand on their remarks.

You can notice the positive benefits of effective and attentive listening when practicing it.

Initially, it takes discipline to use effective listening skills without stopping someone who is speaking.

2. Pause Before Replying

In many cases, the listener is not listening at all. Instead, they think of remarks and getting ready for what they are going to say when the other person takes a breath to then jump in.

Instead, make it a habit to pause for three to five seconds before replying.

So you can avoid the risk of interrupting the speaker, you can show the speaker that you are carefully considering what they have just said and you hear the other person at a deeper level.

3. Question For Clarification

Instead of jumping in with your ideas or opinions, you could pause and ask, “What do you mean exactly?”. This is building trust.

The better you listen to another person, the more they trust you, and the more open they are to being persuaded by you.

4. Feed It Back In Your Own Words

It is only when you can briefly summarize what the other person has just said, in your own words, and feed it back to them, that you tell the speaker that you were genuinely listening.

When you thoughtfully reflect the other person what they have just said, and they agree, “That’s it! That’s what I meant.” You tell them that you were listening.