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Life Is A Speech, Stage Intelligence Coaching
RICHARD FORDEXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION COACHING
Richard on stage with a senior leader, gesturing out to the audience

Senior Leaders & Executives

Lead with clarity.
Especially when it matters.

Board presentations, difficult decisions and high-stakes conversations. Make your message clearer, your leadership more visible and your delivery more assured.

I work with senior leaders on the moments that carry weight: the board paper, the difficult message, the question you did not see coming.

Bring your leadership challenge to a Room Review See a leadership example

The moments that matter

Strong thinking. Demanding rooms.

At senior level the stakes are higher and the time is shorter. The work is to make your thinking easy to follow and your leadership easy to see.

  1. How we work on it

    Board and stakeholder presentations. Structure, storytelling and delivery for the rooms that matter most.

  2. How we work on it

    Difficult messages and conversations. Finding the words and the order for news that is hard to give.

  3. How we work on it

    Question and challenge rehearsal. Practising the questions you hope not to get, out loud.

  4. How we work on it

    Presence. Communicate authority without performing it.

An illustrative board update

Same thinking. A clearer decision.

The goal is not to say less. It is to lead with what the room needs to understand or decide, then give the reasons.

Before

“We’ve completed the first phase of the transformation programme and identified a number of operational priorities for the next quarter.”

After

“The first phase is complete. We now need a decision on two priorities: where we invest and what we stop doing.”

A fictional teaching example. Not client work.

The facts are the same: the phase is done and there are priorities to settle. The after version starts with what the room needs to decide.

  1. The decision comes first The room hears what is needed from it before any background arrives.
  2. The priorities become specific “A number of operational priorities” becomes two named choices: where to invest and what to stop.
  3. The ask is plain A listener can respond straight away, instead of working out what is being asked.
Richard Ford, black and white portrait

What I help you show

You bring the judgement. I help it come across.

You already know your business. My part is the message, the order of ideas, how you handle the room and what happens when someone challenges you. I don’t ask you to perform. I help the leadership you already have become visible.

  • 20+years in global business
  • 1,700+people coached

Broad credentials across all my coaching, not a count of senior leaders.

What that means for leaders

  • MessageLead with what the room needs to understand or decide.
  • MindsetStay clear when challenged.
  • PresenceCommunicate authority without performing it.

Client case study

Strong results. The leadership behind them.

Jessica T., Director of Sales Operations

Jessica T.Director of Sales Operations

The situation

Jessica had made £50M in savings and had a strong track record. She understood her performance data inside out.

The challenge was making sure the people listening could see the leadership behind the numbers.

What the coaching addressed

  • Building a narrative around the decisions, the people and the thinking behind the results
  • Rehearsing out loud and testing what actually landed
  • Moving the story from reporting numbers to leading with the thinking behind them
“I knew the numbers inside out. Richard helped me make sure people could see the leadership behind them.”Jessica T., Director of Sales Operations

The outcome

Her leadership became visible, not just her content. She was invited to speak at a TEDx event on leading through change, and her promotion followed.

Shared with Jessica’s permission. One person’s story, not a promise of the same result.

See the full journey and more results

How we work

From strong results to visible leadership.

A practical process to shape your message, rehearse the hard parts and walk into the room ready.

  1. Discovery

    Understanding the room you are about to face.

    We look at who is listening, what they need from you and what is at stake.

    We start with the real situation: the board paper, the town hall, the difficult conversation. I ask who will be in the room, what each person wants and what you need them to decide or understand. We also look at where your message loses force today, such as too much context before the point, or a key message softened to avoid conflict. You leave with one sentence that states what the room needs to know and do.

  2. Development

    Leading with the point.

    We build the message around the decision, the reasons and the next step.

    Now we build. We put the decision or key message first, then the reasons that support it, then what happens next. We choose which detail earns its place and which can wait for questions. For difficult messages we work on wording and order together, so you are direct without being blunt. Nothing is stripped of substance. The aim is a structure the room can follow the first time you say it, so your thinking is easier to act on.

  3. Dynamics

    Staying clear when it gets difficult.

    We rehearse the presentation and the questions you hope not to get.

    This is where we test the message under pressure. You rehearse out loud, and I ask the questions a board, a team or a client might ask. We practise short answers that return to your point, and we work on how you hold a pause, how you respond to challenge and how you stay steady when the conversation moves. The aim is to find out what holds up before the real room, so you can stay clear when it matters.

  4. Delivery

    Showing the leadership behind the content.

    We prepare the moment itself and agree what happens next.

    The last stage is the moment itself. We refine the opening, the pacing and the way you close, and we agree a simple plan for the day: what you say first, how you settle your nerves and how you recover if the room changes direction. You go in prepared and in your own voice. Afterwards we look at what landed and what to carry into the next conversation, so the improvement continues.

Programmes

Three ways to work together

Choose the depth that fits the moment. Every programme starts with your material and your date, and the pricing depends on the project.

  • The Executive Authority Programme

    8 sessions

    Build lasting authority across board, investor and team communication.

    FrameworkAll four stages in depth

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Included: Notion workspace
    • Included: Transcripts
    • Included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

  • The Board Ready Programme

    6 sessions

    Prepare for a board, stakeholder or results moment with a focused plan.

    FrameworkAll four stages, focused

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Included: Notion workspace
    • Included: Transcripts
    • Not included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

  • The Executive Edge Programme

    4 sessions

    Sharpen one message and one difficult conversation.

    FrameworkThe core of the four stages

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Not included: Notion workspace
    • Not included: Transcripts
    • Not included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

Not ready to choose? A Room Review is 40 minutes for £95, and the fee is credited against any coaching you book afterwards. Book a Room Review

Questions

Your questions, answered.

  • An executive communication coach helps senior people say what matters clearly and show up with authority. That means shaping the message, working on delivery, and rehearsing aloud for the real room: the board, the town hall or the difficult conversation.

  • Yes. We work from your real material: the paper, the update or the proposal. We look at the message, the order of ideas and how you deliver it, then rehearse with the questions you expect.

  • We work on what you need to say, the order you say it in and the tone. The aim is to be clear and direct without damaging the relationship. We rehearse it aloud until it sounds like you.

  • Experience helps, but habits are hard to see from the inside. A second view can show where the point arrives late, where authority is softened or where a question knocks you off course. We keep what works and refine what doesn’t.

  • Bring one real situation: a presentation, a draft or a conversation you are preparing for. You don’t need finished slides. A clear description of the room and the outcome you want is enough.

Free tools for leaders

Your next room

Your next room deserves a better plan.

Bring a board presentation, leadership update, pitch or difficult conversation to a 40 minutes Room Review (£95). Work on the real material before the real room.

Book a Room Review Or send a short brief
Richard on stage with a senior leader, gesturing out to the audience

Senior Leaders & Executives

Lead with clarity. Especially when it matters.

Board presentations, difficult decisions and high-stakes conversations. Make your message clearer, your leadership more visible and your delivery more assured.

I work with senior leaders on the moments that carry weight: the board paper, the difficult message, the question you did not see coming. We start with the room you are about to face and what it needs from you.

Bring your leadership challenge to a Room ReviewSee an example

Strong thinking. Demanding rooms.

At senior level the stakes are higher and the time is shorter. The work is to make your thinking easy to follow and your leadership easy to see.

  • You know the detail. The room needs the decision.

    Background and context can fill the time before the point arrives.

  • Difficult messages require more than the right words.

    Bad news, change and honest feedback need clarity, tone and timing.

  • Challenging questions can take you off course.

    A sharp question can pull you away from the point you came to make.

  • Your expertise is clear. Your authority doesn’t always come through.

    People can follow the content and still miss the leadership behind it.

Same thinking. A clearer decision.

The goal is not to say less. It is to lead with what the room needs to understand or decide, then give the reasons.

Before

“We’ve completed the first phase of the transformation programme and identified a number of operational priorities for the next quarter.”

After

“The first phase is complete. We now need a decision on two priorities: where we invest and what we stop doing.”

A fictional teaching example. Not client work. The facts are the same: the phase is done and there are priorities to settle. The after version starts with what the room needs to decide.

What changed?

  1. The decision comes first

    The room hears what is needed from it before any background arrives.

  2. The priorities become specific

    “A number of operational priorities” becomes two named choices: where to invest and what to stop.

  3. The ask is plain

    A listener can respond straight away, instead of working out what is being asked.

Richard Ford, black and white portrait

You bring the judgement. I help it come across.

You already know your business. My part is the message, the order of ideas, how you handle the room and what happens when someone challenges you. I don’t ask you to perform. I help the leadership you already have become visible.

  • 20+years in global business
  • 1,700+people coached

Broad credentials across all my coaching, not a count of senior leaders.

What that means for leaders

  • MessageLead with what the room needs to understand or decide.
  • MindsetStay clear when challenged.
  • PresenceCommunicate authority without performing it.

Client case study · Shared with permission

Strong results. The leadership behind them.

Jessica T., Director of Sales Operations
Jessica T.Director of Sales Operations

The situation

Jessica had made £50M in savings and had a strong track record. She understood her performance data inside out.

The challenge was making sure the people listening could see the leadership behind the numbers.

What the coaching addressed

  • Building a narrative around the decisions, the people and the thinking behind the results
  • Rehearsing out loud and testing what actually landed
  • Moving the story from reporting numbers to leading with the thinking behind them

I knew the numbers inside out. Richard helped me make sure people could see the leadership behind them.

Jessica T., Director of Sales Operations

The outcome

Her leadership became visible, not just her content. She was invited to speak at a TEDx event on leading through change, and her promotion followed.

Shared with Jessica’s permission. One person’s story, not a promise of the same result.

From strong results to visible leadership.

A practical process to shape your message, rehearse the hard parts and walk into the room ready.

  1. Richard listening closely during a meeting

    Discovery

    Understanding the room you are about to face.

    We look at who is listening, what they need from you and what is at stake.

    We start with the real situation: the board paper, the town hall, the difficult conversation. I ask who will be in the room, what each person wants and what you need them to decide or understand. We also look at where your message loses force today, such as too much context before the point, or a key message softened to avoid conflict. You leave with one sentence that states what the room needs to know and do.

    • Who is in the room, and what does each person need from you?
    • What do you want decided or understood by the end?
  2. Richard pointing to a slide during a presentation

    Development

    Leading with the point.

    We build the message around the decision, the reasons and the next step.

    Now we build. We put the decision or key message first, then the reasons that support it, then what happens next. We choose which detail earns its place and which can wait for questions. For difficult messages we work on wording and order together, so you are direct without being blunt. Nothing is stripped of substance. The aim is a structure the room can follow the first time you say it, so your thinking is easier to act on.

    • Write your opening as a one-sentence decision.
    • Mark which detail goes in the pack and which waits for questions.
  3. Richard working one to one with a participant, both smiling

    Dynamics

    Staying clear when it gets difficult.

    We rehearse the presentation and the questions you hope not to get.

    This is where we test the message under pressure. You rehearse out loud, and I ask the questions a board, a team or a client might ask. We practise short answers that return to your point, and we work on how you hold a pause, how you respond to challenge and how you stay steady when the conversation moves. The aim is to find out what holds up before the real room, so you can stay clear when it matters.

    • Answer each hard question in two sentences, then return to your point.
    • Practise one pause before you answer.
  4. Richard speaking on stage to a seated audience

    Delivery

    Showing the leadership behind the content.

    We prepare the moment itself and agree what happens next.

    The last stage is the moment itself. We refine the opening, the pacing and the way you close, and we agree a simple plan for the day: what you say first, how you settle your nerves and how you recover if the room changes direction. You go in prepared and in your own voice. Afterwards we look at what landed and what to carry into the next conversation, so the improvement continues.

    • Plan your opening sentence word for word.
    • Agree one thing to review afterwards.

What working with Richard looks like.

Coaching is individual, relevant and practical. It starts with your role, your audience and the moments that matter to you, not a standard course.

Every item below reflects the kind of work we can do together. What you use depends on what you need.

Explore coaching programmes

You don’t need to commit to a full programme to explore what needs attention.

  • Individual working sessions

    Focused on your own material and your actual leadership challenges.

  • Board and stakeholder presentations

    Structure, storytelling and delivery for the rooms that matter most.

  • Difficult messages and conversations

    Finding the words and the order for news that is hard to give.

  • Question and challenge rehearsal

    Practising the questions you hope not to get, out loud.

  • Support for an upcoming moment

    A board meeting, town hall, keynote or conversation you are preparing for.

Programmes

Three ways to work together

Choose the depth that fits the moment. Every programme starts with your material and your date, and the pricing depends on the project.

  • The Executive Authority Programme

    8 sessions

    Build lasting authority across board, investor and team communication.

    FrameworkAll four stages in depth

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Included: Notion workspace
    • Included: Transcripts
    • Included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

  • The Board Ready Programme

    6 sessions

    Prepare for a board, stakeholder or results moment with a focused plan.

    FrameworkAll four stages, focused

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Included: Notion workspace
    • Included: Transcripts
    • Not included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

  • The Executive Edge Programme

    4 sessions

    Sharpen one message and one difficult conversation.

    FrameworkThe core of the four stages

    • Included: Video recordings
    • Not included: Notion workspace
    • Not included: Transcripts
    • Not included: Storytelling toolkit
    Contact me for pricing

Not ready to choose? A Room Review is 40 minutes for £95, and the fee is credited against any coaching you book afterwards. Book a Room Review

Bring the challenge. Let’s work on it.

The Room Review

£95 · 40 minutes

A focused working session around one real leadership moment.

Bring a board paper, a presentation, a difficult message or the question you least want to be asked.

We’ll identify what is already working, what needs attention and the most useful next steps.

Book a Room Review

Not ready for a session? Take the free Stage Intelligence Read

Practical ideas for senior leaders

Three short exercises you can try before your next high-stakes moment.

  • Leading with the decision

    Start with what the room needs to decide, then explain why.

    Read the 60-second version
    1. Finish this sentence: “By the end of this, I need you to…”
    2. Say it in one sentence before you build any slides.
    3. Move the background after the decision, or into an appendix.

  • Delivering a difficult message

    Clear, calm and specific lands better than careful and vague.

    Read the 60-second version
    1. State the news in your first sentence.
    2. Give the reason in plain words.
    3. Say what happens next and who is responsible.

  • Handling a challenging question

    Answer the question asked, then return to your point.

    Read the 60-second version
    1. Pause and repeat the question in your own words.
    2. Answer in two sentences.
    3. Bridge back: “The point that matters most here is…”

Free tools for leaders

Try one before you book

Your questions, answered.

  • An executive communication coach helps senior people say what matters clearly and show up with authority. That means shaping the message, working on delivery, and rehearsing aloud for the real room: the board, the town hall or the difficult conversation.

  • Yes. We work from your real material: the paper, the update or the proposal. We look at the message, the order of ideas and how you deliver it, then rehearse with the questions you expect.

  • We work on what you need to say, the order you say it in and the tone. The aim is to be clear and direct without damaging the relationship. We rehearse it aloud until it sounds like you.

  • Experience helps, but habits are hard to see from the inside. A second view can show where the point arrives late, where authority is softened or where a question knocks you off course. We keep what works and refine what doesn’t.

  • Bring one real situation: a presentation, a draft or a conversation you are preparing for. You don’t need finished slides. A clear description of the room and the outcome you want is enough.

  • The Room Review is a focused, 40-minute paid working session. We take one real communication challenge, identify what is already working, explore what needs attention and establish practical next steps, and you receive written notes afterwards. It costs £95. If you would rather pay in euros or dollars, I can send an invoice in pounds, euros or dollars, or you can pay securely online.

You lead the work. Let’s make it visible.

Bring the presentation, message or conversation that matters. We’ll work out what needs attention and where to start.

Book a Room Review · £95Take the free Stage Intelligence Read

One focused challenge. Practical feedback. No obligation to continue.

Book a Room Review