The big idea: Executives judge you by how you show up as much as by what you say, so rehearse out loud, respect the clock and be fully present every minute.
In 60 seconds
- Executives judge how you show up as much as what you say.
- Arrive early, dress business casual and stay fully present, even when you are not presenting.
- Rehearse three times out loud on a timer, and finish on time or a little early.
Do this: rehearse every BUAD 417 presentation three times and fix the two habits your self-check ranks first.
How executive presence works
Executive presence is how you show up when senior leaders are in the room: on time, dressed for it, fully engaged and able to make your point clearly from the front. In BUAD 417 you do all of this in front of real executives, so it counts. As the syllabus puts it, “Every Practice Counts.” Presentation scores can be lowered for bad presentation habits.
Arrive early
Be in your seat before class starts. Late is visible to everyone, including the guest.
Signal: you respect their time.
Dress the part
Business casual when a guest visits. No jeans, baseball hats, sweatshirts or hoods.
Signal: you take the visit seriously.
Be fully present
Concentrate on whoever is speaking, executive or classmate. Take notes. Bring questions. No technology distractions.
Signal: you are worth mentoring.
Own the front of the room
Rehearsed, on time, clear structure, steady voice and open posture.
Signal: you are ready to lead.
The presentation habits this course wants to break
Voice and words
Reading slides word for word. Monotone. Mumbling or speaking too softly. Filler words (“like,” “you know,” “um”). Inappropriate language, jargon or cliches.
Replace with: keyword slides, planned pauses, plain words.
Body
Leaning on the podium or furniture. Avoiding eye contact. Turning your back to the audience. Fidgeting or pacing. Crossed arms or feet. Overusing gestures or pointing aggressively.
Replace with: planted stance, open hands, one person per thought.
Preparation
Not rehearsing. Rambling without structure. Poor time management. Inappropriate attire.
Replace with: a time map, point-first sections and three full rehearsals.
Early is on time
Punctuality is essential in this course. Being more than 10 minutes late counts the same as an unexcused absence, and an absence is only excused if you ask in advance and get a reply. Read Fifteen minutes means fifteen minutes for why time limits matter as much as start times.
You represent the college
Guests come to campus through the college. For many of them, you are the clearest picture they get of Haslam and Smith GLS. How you greet, listen, ask and follow up is part of that picture.
Why each bad habit costs youWhat the audience actually experiences
| Habit | What the executive experiences |
|---|---|
| Reading slides | They read faster than you talk, so they stop listening. It also suggests you do not know the material. |
| Rambling | They cannot find your point, so they stop looking for it. |
| Poor time management | Your overrun takes time from the next speaker or the Q&A, and the end gets rushed. |
| Filler words | A few are normal. A steady stream sounds unsure. |
| Monotone or mumbling | Nothing sounds important, or they cannot hear it at all. |
| No eye contact, back turned | You seem to be presenting to the screen, not to them. |
| Leaning, closed posture, fidgeting | Signals low energy or nerves, and pulls attention away from your words. |
| Jargon and cliches | Vague phrases sound like filler. Unexplained acronyms lose people. |
How to rehearse like a professionalThree runs, out loud, on a timer
- Run 1, alone. Stand up, say every word out loud, use a timer. Note where you got lost or ran long.
- Run 2, with a listener. A teammate watches for two habits only (use the self-check below to pick them). Record it on a phone if you can.
- Run 3, in a room like the real one. Slides on a screen, clicker in hand, standing where you will stand. Hit your time within 30 seconds.
Thinking through your slides in your head is not rehearsal. Your mouth needs the practice.
Full engagement when you are not presentingClass, mentoring and meals with guests
- Listen like it is your meeting. Eyes on the speaker, phone away, laptop closed unless you are taking notes.
- Take notes by hand. It shows attention, and it feeds your Leadership Reflection Journal.
- Ask a prepared question. Tie it to something the guest said or to your briefing research. “You mentioned…” shows you were listening.
- Give classmates the same attention. The syllabus asks you to concentrate on whoever is speaking, guest or student.
- At meals and mentoring, introduce yourself with your name and major, let the guest talk more than you, and thank them by name when you leave.
Introducing a guest executiveAt least one host team member does this
A good introduction takes about a minute and makes the guest look good. One simple shape:
- Welcome: greet the guest and the room.
- Why them: their role and organization in one sentence.
- Two highlights: career moments from your briefing research that connect to this class.
- Hand-off: “Please join me in welcoming…” then step aside and lead the applause.
Practice the guest’s name and title out loud until you can say them without notes. Confirm the pronunciation in advance if you are unsure.
Try it: Presentation Habit Self-Check
Tool · BUAD 417
Presentation Habit Self-Check
After a rehearsal, rate your habits and get the two to fix first, with a drill for each.
- 1Rate
- 2Drill
- 3Share
Fix first
All habits
Put it to work: every presentation, visit and session in BUAD 417
Every BUAD 417 deliverable puts you in front of an audience: Team Presentation 1 (the executive and company briefing, 45 to 60 minutes), Team Presentation 2 (Leader’s DNA, about 30 minutes plus Q&A), your Field Interview presentation (3 to 5 minutes), hosting and introducing a guest, and the mentoring session. Professionalism and engagement are graded too, every week.
Build a time map
Split your time limit across sections and mark checkpoints. For a 3 to 5 minute field interview talk, that might be 1 minute per leader plus 1 minute of takeaways.
Your deliverable: a timed outline for each presentation.
Rehearse three times, out loud
Alone, then for a teammate, then in a room like the real one. Record at least one run.
Your deliverable: a rehearsal that lands within 30 seconds of your limit.
Run the self-check
Rate yourself from the recording and take the two habits it ranks first into your next run.
Your deliverable: a two-habit practice plan per presenter.
Prepare the day, not just the deck
Lay out business casual the night before. Plan to arrive early. For hosting, confirm your role in the guest’s itinerary and practice the introduction.
Your deliverable: on time, dressed for it, ready to introduce the guest.
Stay present after you sit down
Listen to the next team as carefully as you want them to listen to you. Take notes and bring a question for the guest and the mentoring session.
Your deliverable: full engagement for the whole session.
How it shows up in each deliverableBriefing, Leader’s DNA, field interview, hosting
- Team Presentation 1 (briefing): long format, so hand-offs and time checkpoints matter most. Every teammate knows the full flow, not just their slides.
- Team Presentation 2 (Leader’s DNA): 5 to 6 slides for about 30 minutes means you talk far more than you show. Reading slides is not an option.
- Field Interview presentation: 3 to 5 minutes is short. Lead with who the leaders are, then their traits, then your takeaways. Cut anything else.
- Hosting a guest: greeting, the introduction, meals and logistics are all presence. Adjust calmly when plans change.
- Mentoring session: arrive with a real question, listen more than you talk, follow up with a thank-you.
Do this, not thatHabits executives notice
Do this
- Arrive early and be seated before the start.
- Ask for an excused absence in advance, and wait for the reply.
- Say your point first, then support it.
- Pause instead of saying “um.”
- Stand planted, open and facing the room.
- Finish on time or a little early.
Not that
- Slipping in a few minutes late.
- Sending a message the morning of and calling it excused.
- Reading the slide to the room.
- Leaning on the podium with arms crossed.
- Checking your phone while a classmate presents.
- Jeans, hats or a hoodie on a guest day.
Before you presentThe day-of check
- [ ] Three full rehearsals done, one of them recorded.
- [ ] Last run within 30 seconds of the time limit.
- [ ] Slides are headlines and keywords, not scripts.
- [ ] I know my two habits to watch and my drill for each.
- [ ] Business casual laid out the night before.
- [ ] I will be seated before the start.
- [ ] Phone away, notebook out, one prepared question for the guest.
- [ ] If I am introducing the guest, I can say their name and title without notes.
Go deeper
Part of BUAD 417 Executives in Residence, taught by Lane Morris, PhD, in the Smith GLS human-centered leadership program, toward the Human Centered Consulting Certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What is executive presence?
Executive presence is how you show up when senior leaders are in the room: on time, dressed for it, fully engaged and able to make your point clearly from the front. In BUAD 417 students practice it in front of real executives, and presentation scores can be lowered for bad presentation habits.
How should you rehearse a presentation?
Rehearse three times, out loud, on a timer. Run one is alone, noting where you got lost or ran long. Run two is for a teammate who watches for two habits, ideally recorded. Run three is in a room like the real one, with slides and a clicker, and should land within 30 seconds of your time limit.
What are the most common bad presentation habits?
Common habits include reading slides word for word, monotone or mumbling, filler words, jargon, leaning on the podium, avoiding eye contact, turning your back to the audience, fidgeting, rambling and poor time management. Replace them with keyword slides, planned pauses, plain words, a planted stance, open hands, point-first sections and a time map.
What should students wear when a guest executive visits?
Wear business casual when a guest visits. Jeans, baseball hats, sweatshirts and hoods are out. In BUAD 417 dressing the part signals that you take the visit seriously, and guests often see students as the clearest picture of Haslam and Smith GLS. Laying out your outfit the night before is part of preparing the day, not just the deck.
How do you introduce a guest speaker?
A good introduction takes about a minute and makes the guest look good. Welcome the guest and the room, say their role and organization in one sentence, share two career highlights from your briefing research that connect to the class, then hand off with "Please join me in welcoming…" Practice the guest's name and title out loud until you can say them without notes.