Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

How to Speak Up With Senior Leadership—Even When You Don’t Know All the Answers

Matthew Hill · September 10, 2025

Executive Coach · Leadershipin

Interview with Matthew Hill

How to Speak Up With Senior Leadership—Even When You Don’t Know All the Answers — Matthew Hill

Podcast: Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

September 10, 2025 · 27 min

Listen to Matthew Hill on Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style.

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How to Speak Up With Senior Leadership—Even When You Don’t Know All the Answers

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Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

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Key topicsWhy Most Pitches Fail Before the First SlideFounders lose investors long before the Q&A because they mistake jargon for clarity. Matthew has seen this play out across Europe and the Middle East: entrepreneurs pack their decks with buzzwords, polish their delivery, and still fail to connect. What actually lands is conviction, story, and credibility-the human layer underneath the business case. Drawing on years of coaching nervous first-timers and overconfident CEOs alike, Matthew shows why simplicity builds trust faster than theatrics. In an era where everyone is pitching something-whether to investors, customers, or even their own teams-he reveals how to strip back the noise and win attention by sounding like yourself, not like a brochure. Confidence Isn’t a Trait-It’s a SkillMatthew can discuss how confidence is too often seen as an innate trait, rather than a skill that can be trained and strengthened. Having gone from self-confessed introvert to international speaker and coach, Matthew unpacks the real story behind becoming a confident communicator-and it’s rarely about bravado. He shares how quiet professionals can lead the room without changing who they are, and reveals the subtle mindset shifts and behavioural tweaks that make people listen. Whether it’s someone who freezes during team meetings or a newly promoted manager unsure how to hold space, his stories resonate with listeners who’ve been told to “just speak up” but never shown how. Communication as a Core Leadership CompetencyMatthew can discuss why communication has quietly become one of the most underestimated leadership skills in modern business-and what it’s costing companies when it’s ignored. Drawing on years of coaching executives in high-stakes environments, Matthew shares how poor communication habits-like unclear internal messaging, uninspiring presentations, or culture-blind team management-slow progress and erode trust. He recounts coaching sessions where a single shift in a leader’s tone or delivery transformed team engagement, and explains how real leadership often shows up not in strategy decks, but in the way a manager runs a Monday meeting. For leaders navigating hybrid teams, rapid growth, or international expansion, he offers practical insight into how to communicate with impact-without needing to be a natural performer. View all topics →

About Matthew Hill

Presentation Coach, Turning Reluctant Speakers into Confident Communicators for the Boardroom, the Stage, and the Global Team

37,500+ Executives trained30+ countries Global training reachSIETAR UK Lifetime Membership AwardTeams trained EY & GE Capital

With a career that spans corporate boardrooms, global classrooms, and stand-up comedy stages, Matthew Hill brings a rare blend of wit, warmth, and wisdom to the art of communication. As a leadership trainer, intercultural facilitator, and presentation coach, Matthew helps executives, emerging leaders, and teams unlock confidence, clarity, and impact—whether they’re pitching, presenting, or navigating high-stakes conversations.

Having trained teams from EY to GE Capital, and delivered workshops in more than 30 countries, Matthew is deeply versed in the real-world dynamics of cross-cultural communication and influence. His sessions are energising, applied, and always action-oriented. He’s especially skilled in flipping limiting beliefs—taking the "I could never" and transforming it into “watch me do it.”

Whether he’s guiding a nervous speaker through their first keynote, coaching a CEO on how not to bore their team, or mediating conflict with humour and empathy, Matthew knows how to meet people where they are—and move them forward.

He thrives in global settings, whether in-person or virtual, and has built a reputation for helping professionals of all stripes find their voice, sharpen their message, and lead with purpose. From webinars to live workshops, he’s equally at home behind the mic or in front of the room, and brings sharp insight and lively storytelling to every conversation.

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About this episode

Click here if: You’re a senior leader who’s finally ready to level up, speak up, get recognised and nail that promotion…and you want to work with Laura Camacho to build your Executive Presence in the next 90 days.

Click here to pinpoint the specific area in your executive presence that’s keeping you invisible to senior leadership and guarantees you stay working hard as a pack mule who never gets promoted. Download the Executive Presence Scorecard assessment.

Are you great at what you do but still struggling to be heard, respected, or promoted on the global stage? Maybe your communication instincts are outdated.

If you’ve ever been overlooked in meetings, misunderstood by international colleagues, or unsure how to handle cultural differences in communication, this episode is your wake-up call.

High performers often assume excellence speaks for itself—but in today’s multicultural business world, influence demands more than results. It requires strategic, culturally aware communication.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

⁉️Why even top talent can be held back by outdated communication instincts

😅 How cultural missteps—like eye contact, tone, or “saying no”—can quietly derail your leadership presence

💰The power of pre-engagement, storytelling, and even strategic confession to earn trust and influence across cultures

If you're ready to become the kind of leader who gets heard, respected, and remembered—anywhere in the world—hit play and start mastering the global influence game.

For more information and or to get on our insiders email list visit www.speakupwithlaura.com. Our Speak Up podcast episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the morning.

About our guest:

Matthew Hilldiscusses leadership and communication, crucial for global leaders amid challenges of remote and cross-cultural team dynamics.

Effective communication is critical for leaders managing global teams amid increasing remote work and international expansion. A recent McKinsey report showed that effective communication can improve team performance by 25%. Matthew expands on unwritten leadership rules by providing practical insights into effective communication strategies for senior leaders.

In Speak Up communication and executive presence coaching, high performing leaders and executives learn to enhance their influence and confidence, refining their communication style to increase visibility and effectiveness in promotion opportunities.

By honing communication skills and fostering a trusted advisor mindset, aspiring executives cultivate mastery in public speaking and beat imposter syndrome. Your leadership becomes more strategic and inspiring.

Guest: Matthew Hill