
Snap! Everyone is looking for strategies for success. It doesn’t matter if you play golf or tennis or present at meetings. These strategies all the same. But in sports they may refer to them as calm under pressure, in leadership we refer to it as executive presence and influence.
Nerves, executive presence & influence
Watching the Australian Open Women’s final, I was fascinated to hear and read about the strategies of the winning female player, Madison Keys.
You may have heard that Keys failed at several attempts at a Grand Slam. But 2025 was her year — and she has now been successful in winning that coveted game. What’s changed? She credits her current success to new strategies for handling nerves.
In the past she thought nerves were something you just put aside and then got on with it. But that simply didn’t work.
Now, Keys recognises that everyone needs a coach saying you are not the best person to give yourself advice. Ain’t that the truth!
And you don’t have to be an athlete to have that help.
Just as Madison possessed the on-court weapons – a powerful serve and punishing groundstrokes – most of you with whom I work are experts in your field. And if you’re struggling with building executive presence and influence, you may also need those new perspectives that come from working with a ‘coach’.
“I honestly think that had I not done that, then I wouldn’t be sitting here,” said Keys.
Most singers have singing teachers to the end of their career. And likewise, Keys said, “I think it’s very important. It’s something I will continue to do for the rest of my life.”
When it comes to executive presence and influence, it’s time to start thinking of yourself as a sports star.
As a leader you need to build executive presence and influence. But to get there, you might need to start thinking of yourself as a sports star. And just like a sports star needs a coach, you may too.
So, now that we’re at the beginning of 2025, it’s time to take it seriously to get the help you need, whatever that may be.
What strategies are you using now?
This brings me to Sabalenka’s game behaviour. In the immediate aftermath of the match, Keys’ opponent gave Keys a lukewarm embrace at the net before taking her anger out on her racquet and storming off court.
Sabalenka confessed she was frustrated because she was “so close to achieving something crazy” and threw the racquet to release some of that emotion.
“I just needed to throw those negative emotions at the end just so I could give a speech, not stand there being disrespectful. I was just trying to let it go and be a good person,” said Sabalenka, who defended the move as a way to get back in the right headspace and continue.
I can’t say I liked the strategy. Like former British No 1 Jo Durie, I thought it detracted from Keys’ big moment. But I appreciate that at least she had a strategy and knew what she was doing and why.
When leaders struggle with executive presence and influence they most often don’t have strategies. Instead, they just beat themselves up for not being successful in that space. Don’t. Get the strategies you need by getting the help you need.

Gravitas Masterclass Melbourne March 2025
Date: Thursday, 27th March 2025
Location: Melbourne
Venue: RACV City Melbourne