My toes curled around the painted turquoise edge of the pool, and Coach Cooley was giving a million instructions on how not to break our necks. This felt really important…not breaking my neck.

At 5 ½ years old, I was learning to do a racing dive into 3 feet of water. (It was barely the 80s. This was normal). We practiced every day at the end of morning swim team practice.

For my first meet a couple weeks later, I stuck to the pool’s edge to start the race, but half-way through the season, I started off the block.

Now, if you’re not sure what the block is, it’s that tilted platform that means the swimmer is up about 3 feet above the water, ready to dive into the shallow end of the pool.

Forty years later, I can still do a racing dive into three feet of water with confidence. (But aren’t we all glad they’ve moved the starting blocks to the deep end??)

Why do I have that kind of confidence that I wouldn’t break my neck? Confidence is built while doing.

Csilla Muscan came as our Monday Mentor to share her wisdom on visibility and leadership. delivered so much wisdom about confidence, preparation, strategy, and the importance of being visible. If you’ve ever wanted more executive presence, this interview is for you.

Csilla knows that even as an introvert, you can build confidence and visibility on stage.

A few highlights from the interview:
3:30 The importance not just sharing your message, but sharing it effectively.
7:05 Normalizing critics and coping with preparation
13:35 How to make sure your message is heard (and remembered!)
15:01 The MOST effective tactic for building a great presentation
17:50 How to build confidence
19:50 Why visibility matters in your leadership

Watch the interview here:

What keeps you from being visible in your career? What’s the thing you need to get that confidence? If you’re curious about how to gain that confidence, let’s talk.