The Amazing Authorities Podcast
Episode: Mastering Leadership Communication: Michael Delisser’s Guide to Emotional Intelligence and Presentation Confidence
Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Michael Delisser
Date: December 9, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode, host Mitch Carson sits down with leadership communication expert, author, and consultant Michael Delisser. Their conversation dives deep into the often-overlooked interpersonal skills that are essential to executive success. Drawing from personal stories, hands-on coaching experience, and the insights from his book Leadership Accelerators, Michael explains why self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and adaptable communication habits are critical for leaders at every level—especially in today's AI-augmented world. He shares actionable strategies for overcoming presentation anxiety, developing strong leadership rituals, and fostering enduring relationships at work and at home.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Early Lessons: Learning from His Father’s Executive Coaching
- Background: As a teen, Michael observed his father coaching Fortune 100 executives who'd been fired—almost always for communication mistakes, not technical incompetence.
- Quote:
"I was just shocked that senior executives could struggle with some of the basic fundamentals of interpersonal communication or presenting."
— Michael Delisser [02:10]
- Quote:
- Core Lesson: Many leaders are promoted for technical results but fail for lack of communication skills. The higher up you go, the more vital communication becomes.
2. Common Pitfalls: Why Executives Fail
- Main Traits Leading to Failure:
- Overemphasis on results/task focus at the expense of people skills.
- Overemphasis on relationships at the expense of achieving results.
- Lack of self-awareness about how actions and communication are perceived.
- Quote:
"People that bring either that task focus or this structure focus to a leadership role, they don’t necessarily lead with people skills, and because of that…the higher they get, the more trouble they get."
— Michael Delisser [04:20]
- Key Takeaway: Balance and self-awareness are essential to avoid common leadership traps.
3. The Power of Self-Awareness
- Coaching Insights:
- Video recording is used to highlight and correct communication habits (e.g., fillers, interrupting). Realization leads to motivation to change.
- Quote:
"If you want to see great progress in your development as a leader, you have to start with increasing your self-awareness…"
— Michael Delisser [06:07]
- Practical Approach: Record yourself presenting or in conversation; specific feedback is more impactful than abstract advice.
4. Overcoming Presentation Anxiety
- Client Story:
Michael helped a leader paralyzed by presenting to executives to reframe his mindset, resulting in significant improvement.- Quote:
"When you change the conversation in your head, it changes your body's reaction…" — Michael Delisser [08:30]
- Quote:
- Tactics for Managing Nerves:
- Identify and replace limiting beliefs.
- Develop personal pre-presentation rituals (music, visualization, breathing, etc.).
- Affirmations and power stances help many presenters.
Notable Dialogue
- Mitch: Shares his own ritual (visualizing relaxing in his pool with his dog) and how this “home spot” became his go-to confidence anchor. [10:49–12:25]
- Michael: Emphasizes “one size does not fit all”—personalize your ritual and use it consistently. [12:04]
5. Leadership Accelerators: Michael’s Book & The Three Core Competencies
- Three Critical Categories for Leadership Breakthrough:
- Navigating Different Personalities
- Emotional Intelligence
- Communication Habits
- Why Now Matters More Than Ever:
"With AI and technical advances…it’s actually skewing the importance of communication skills to be even higher now."
— Michael Delisser [15:09] - Self-Assessment: Michael advocates rigorous self-review to identify strengths, blind spots, and areas for growth.
6. The “Leadership Core Four” (from Michael’s Upcoming Book)
- Four Zones Where Leaders Succeed or Fail:
- Presentation Skills and Persuasion
- One-on-One Coaching
- Meeting Management
- Business Writing
- Real-world leadership hinges on these day-to-day communication competencies, not just theory.
Teaching Experience
- In Michael’s MBA teaching, students were recorded for presentations and coaching—providing more direct, actionable feedback than reading theory alone. [22:20]
- Quote:
"There’s a light that goes on that…it’s just more effective than just hearing it from me."
— Michael Delisser [22:38]
- Quote:
7. Filler Words & Imperfection in Communication
- Personal Anecdotes:
Both Michael and Mitch recollect humbling moments where they realized how distracting their own filler words (“um,” “you know”) were.- Michael:
"Professor interrupts me…‘I'm going to raise my hand every single time you say, or, ah, just to raise your awareness.’ … I'm just dying up there…" [24:08–24:46] - Key Advice:
You’ll never hit zero filler words. Strive for authenticity, not perfection. Practice handling mistakes during rehearsal, not just aiming for a “perfect” delivery. [27:01] - Quote:
"Your goal is never to create the perfect presentation. Your goal is to create the authentic presentation that achieves the goal you're trying to achieve with it."
— Michael Delisser [27:01]
- Michael:
8. On Toastmasters & Group Practice
- Michael’s View:
Toastmasters can be useful for practice and feedback but may not address deeper confidence or leadership skill gaps without individual coaching. [28:26]- Quote:
"Getting in front of people and getting feedback is a good thing as long as you create an environment that's building your confidence."
— Michael Delisser [28:40]
- Quote:
9. Application Beyond the Office
- Crossover to Personal Life:
The principles of emotional intelligence, communication habits, and understanding personalities apply at home just as much as at work. [31:58]
10. Final Thought: Acceptance & Relationships
- Parting Wisdom:
"If you want to improve your relationship with anybody just let go of wishing they were different from who they are."
— Michael Delisser [32:33]
Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps
-
“It’s very easy for executives to be promoted beyond their skill level at communicating. And the higher you go… the more critical communication is to your success.”
— Michael Delisser [02:30] -
“Once people see what they’re doing, they’re more inclined to do something about it.”
— Michael Delisser [05:52] -
“The key is experimenting, learning what works. But once you find something, making it your ritual… It puts you in the mindset to be successful.”
— Michael Delisser [10:46] -
"Emotional intelligence... the higher you go, it becomes twice as important as your cognitive ability or your IQ."
— Michael Delisser [16:43] -
"You’ll never get to zero filler speech. And that’s okay because it’s authentic to just be you."
— Michael Delisser [27:01] -
“If you want to improve your relationship with anybody just let go of wishing they were different from who they are.”
— Michael Delisser [32:33]
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- [01:12] – Michael’s formative experience watching his father coach executives
- [03:36] – The personality traits and habits most likely to derail leaders
- [05:48] – The critical role of self-awareness and the techniques he uses to build it
- [08:47] – Transformative client story: Overcoming fear of presenting to executives
- [09:36] – Individualized rituals for overcoming presentation anxiety
- [14:48] – Breakdown of Leadership Accelerators and its three key categories
- [19:30] – Tease & structure of Michael’s upcoming book on leadership communication
- [22:20] – How Michael uses video feedback for maximum coaching impact
- [24:08] – Michael’s traumatic undergraduate public speaking experience and enduring lessons
- [27:01] – The case for authenticity over perfection in presentations
- [28:26] – Michael’s nuanced take on Toastmasters for skill building
- [31:58] – The broader impact of leadership skills on personal relationships
- [32:33] – Michael’s closing wisdom on acceptance in relationships
Resources & Where to Find Michael Delisser
- Book: Leadership Accelerators — Available on Amazon and Michael’s website (delisser.com)
- Website: delisserconsulting.com | delisser.com
Tone & Language
The conversation is candid, expert, practical, and refreshingly personal—with both Mitch and Michael sharing stories of struggle and growth. Listeners are encouraged to embrace imperfection, cultivate self-awareness, and tailor leadership strategies to their unique personalities.
Next Steps:
Michael Delisser will return to discuss his forthcoming book on leadership communication and the practical tools leaders can use to excel in high-stakes presentations, coaching conversations, and beyond.
Takeaway:
Leadership isn’t just about what you know—it’s about how you connect, reflect, and communicate. Self-awareness is the first step. Authenticity is the superpower.
