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The #1 reaction that a lot of leaders have when they see themselves on camera for the first time:
“That’s not me.”
It’s an unnerving feeling.
The person staring back at them in the video is just not the outgoing, relaxed, “natural” self that they pride themselves on being.
And because of that shock, a lot of people shy away from future video opportunities.
So I’m here to tell you that there’s no such thing as “natural”. You have different versions of you for different situations.
And being on camera is no different.
You just may not have invested enough time in developing your “natural” self for the camera.
And that’s the most impactful version of you that I’m here to help you uncover.
Craft your on-camera persona
🔥 First, understand which behaviors you’re defaulting to on camera.
Watch videos of yourself back to note both the micro behaviors (filler words, awkward body language) as well as the macro ones (overall level of ease and confidence).
🔥 Start getting used to seeing yourself on camera.
Start making some new video content at this stage – just for yourself. Decrease the “shock” factor of seeing yourself on video.
You’ll need to keep making new videos for the rest of the steps.
🔥 Target the micro behaviors first.
This is the lower hanging fruit. Pause instead of using filler words. Become aware of what your hands are doing in the frame. Make better eye contact.
Give yourself the goal of only improving on ONE micro behavior in each video.
🔥 Improve macro-level factors to amplify your performance.
These factors are your energy, your voice and your body language. Add some more energy. Be a bit more animated – while still being you. Modulate your voice.
These factors together contribute to projecting a more confident version of you.
🔥 Add the “oomph” factor.
Now that you’ve built up the foundations of being a good speaker, you can amplify a part of your personality for the camera. This will make you more memorable.
For me, this is my playfulness and (sometimes quite cheesy) sense of humor. Don’t be afraid to experiment with this and try out different personality quirks to see which ones fit when you amplify them for the camera.
Hope this framework was helpful as always. I’m here to answer any questions that you may have.
This week, I talked to a senior leader at Unilever about how to gain respect as a new leader. When Nikolai Sirmai became a team leader at a young age, he had to come up with an answer to “Why should I listen to you?” fast. Listen to the episode to find out how he did.
Wishing you an amazing Christmas and holiday season. 🎄 ❄️ 🎁
Till we meet again, speak fearlessly!
💜 Nausheen
