Summary
Here’s how to build connection, authority, and trust in 1 minute or less.
Because influence doesn’t come from titles or metrics , it comes from how your story lands in the first minute.
You’ve led multi-million-dollar projects, navigated boardrooms full of pressure, and survived more 12-hour days than you can count.
Your résumé speaks volumes. But your presence? It disappears the moment you leave the room. You’re articulate, competent, and even admired. And yet… you’re forgettable.
Most executives don’t have a credibility problem. They have a memorability problem.
The Invisible Executive
Maybe you’ve felt it. You introduce yourself on a call, in a meeting, or at a conference, and you can see it happen in real time — polite nods, quick acknowledgments, then… gone.
It’s because your introduction doesn’t activate emotion or trigger memory, not because you lack impact.
Most leaders introduce themselves with what they’ve done, but people remember how you make them feel.
Why Traditional Intros Fail
Executives default to credentials:
“I’m the VP of Operations at…”
“I lead marketing for…”
“I manage a global team responsible for…”
Clean. Polished. And completely forgettable.
The StoryBrand principle is simple: your audience is always the hero. When your introduction makes you the hero, the story dies before it begins.
The Science of Being Remembered
Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy discovered that people subconsciously ask two questions within seconds of meeting you:
- Can I trust this person?
- Can I respect this person?
Warmth first. Competence second. Trust opens the door; respect keeps it open.
Lead with humanity, then prove your value. That’s how you create instant credibility that feels effortless.
The 1-Minute Sticky Introduction Formula
Forget the corporate monologue. Here’s how to build connection, authority, and trust in under 60 seconds.
Start with empathy.
Show you get their world.
“You know how most teams are drowning in meetings but starving for clarity?”
Define your role as the guide.
Shift from “who you are” to “how you help.”
“I help leaders design systems that make clarity a daily habit, not a leadership-retreat buzzword.”
Anchor with an outcome.
Describe the transformation you create.
“The result is teams that move faster, argue less, and actually like working together again.”
Add a trust cue.
Offer a simple proof point or context of experience.
“I’ve helped organizations from startups to the Fortune 500 do exactly that.”
Now put it together:
“You know how most teams are drowning in meetings but starving for clarity?
I help leaders design systems that make clarity a daily habit, not a leadership-retreat buzzword.
The result is teams that move faster, argue less, and actually like working together again.
I’ve helped organizations from startups to the Fortune 500 do exactly that.”
That’s 58 seconds of sticky authority.
Why It Works
This formula hits the three triggers every listener is wired to respond to:
Empathy activates connection.
You make people feel seen, not sold to.
Clarity creates confidence.
You remove cognitive friction — the brain’s biggest enemy.
Consistency builds reputation.
You become known for the feeling of confidence and trust you leave behind.
As Dov Seidman wrote, “How you do what you do matters most.” And as Donald Miller reminds us, people follow guides who help them survive and thrive, not heroes who talk about themselves.
Try This at Your Next Client Meeting or Conference
Skip the job title and start with the pain you solve. Focus on what you make possible for others and watch what happens. They’ll lean in, ask questions, and want to know more.
Why? Because you delivered a story they could remember themselves inside of, not just another self-focused introduction.
Final Thought
Presence is built on resonance, not volume.
If you can make someone feel understood in under a minute, they’ll remember you long after your name fades from the agenda.
That’s not networking. That’s leadership.
