Akash Karia

How to Think on Your Feet: 10x Your Impromptu Speaking

Akash Speaker — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:25:40 +0000

If you want to learn how to think on your feet, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, I’ll show you the exact 4-step framework I’ve used to train leaders at Gucci, Sony, FedEx, and TikTok to think on their feet and speak clearly under pressure.

It’s called OREO (yes, like the cookie).

And it works in seconds – even when someone puts you on the spot with zero time to prepare.

Speaking on the spot isn’t a knowledge problem. It’s a pressure problem.

The stress spikes, and your brain does one of two things: it blanks, or it rambles.

Here’s the solution:

Why is it so hard to think on your feet?

Because being put on the spot is genuinely high-stress. And under stress, your brain does one of two things.

It blanks. Or it rambles.

After coaching 5,000+ leaders, I can tell you it’s almost never about how much you know. The second all eyes turn to you, the pressure spikes — and your brain stops cooperating.

Some people go blank. They reach for the perfect answer, can’t find it, and freeze.

Most people ramble. They start talking before they’ve organized anything. So they think out loud — circling, backtracking, burying the point under context nobody asked for.

Different reactions. Same root cause: under pressure, you’ve got nothing to hold onto.

The Solution: How to think on your feet and speak clearly – every time

When you’re put on the spot, do four things:

Lead with one clear point
Say why you believe it
Back it with one piece of evidence
End with one action

That’s OREO. One Thing, Reasoning, Evidence, One Action.

The two cookies are your point and your action. The cream in the middle is your proof.

The OREO Framework for Clearer Thinking and Speaking

OREO is a four-step framework for thinking on your feet: One Thing, Reasoning, Evidence, One Action.

You may have seen OREO before.

As a writing framework, it stands for Opinion, Reason, Example, Opinion. You state your position, back it up, and restate it at the end.

But I refined the framework to be more suitable for impromptu speaking.

Let’s look at the new OREO framework. Here’s how each step works:

O: One Thing

What’s the one thing you want to say? You ramble because your brain is trying to say everything at once. Forcing it to pick one thing helps you focus and generate ideas.

R: Reasoning

Why do you believe it? Follow your point with a clear “because.”

E: Evidence

What’s your proof? Provide a data point, a story or an example.

(If you reach for a story, give it a simple story structure)

O: One Action

What do you want them to do next? End with a clear next step for what you want your audience to think, feel or do differently.

Here’s how to use master impromptu speaking with the OREO framework (an example)

Let’s say someone asks you:

“What do you think about AI disrupting entry-level jobs?”

Here’s the answer without OREO:

“Yeah… I think AI is going to be a big thing, I mean it already is, and I think entry-level roles will probably change. Some might go away, some might evolve, and there’s this whole thing with companies automating tasks now, and I think it’ll affect different industries in different ways. So yeah, there’s just so much to think about with AI.”

This person clearly knows their stuff.

But they’re rambling without structure. It’s one of the more common presentation mistakes that undermine your message.

Now here’s the same answer structured with my OREO framework:

One Thing: “Yes, I believe AI will eliminate a significant number of entry-level jobs within five years.”
Reasoning: “Here’s why. It’s because most entry-level work is rules-based and repetitive. And that’s exactly what AI is now good at.”
Evidence: “In fact, IBM recently paused hiring for around 7,800 back-office roles it expects AI to handle. Those are exactly the kind of jobs graduates used to get their foot in the door with. And I’m seeing it up close… in my own company, two junior analyst roles have already been replaced by AI tools.”
One Action: “So we’ve got to teach grads what AI can’t… how to think critically, and be creative. Because the easy entry-level jobs they used to learn from just aren’t there anymore.”

Notice how this response is far more interesting. Because it’s got a scaffolding on which the thoughts can be built.

How to think on your feet in job interviews, Q&A and meetings

The same four steps work in front of one person or a hundred.

Here’s how OREO plays out in the moments my clients ask about most.

In a job interview (“What would you do in your first 90 days?”)

Lead with your single biggest priority. Say why it matters most. Back it with something you’ve done before. Then name the first concrete step you’d take.

In a board or exec Q&A (“Why is this project behind?”)

Name the single biggest cause first. Don’t list all five.

Give the reason, then the number that proves it. Close by telling them exactly what you need them to decide.

This is how you show executive presence.

When you’re challenged in a meeting (“I don’t think that’ll work.”)

Don’t defend everything at once.

Restate your position in one line. Give your strongest reason and one piece of proof. Then propose a small next step — a pilot, a test.

How do you get better at thinking on your feet?

You get better with reps.

But not random ones. You need reps that drill the OREO structure until it runs on its own.

Here are four you can fit into a normal week.

Exercise 1: The 90-second interview drill

Got an interview coming up?

Have a friend fire you a random question.

Then start a 90-second timer.

Your only job:

Answer in OREO — One Thing, Reasoning, Evidence, and (if it fits) One Action (or any other framework that fits the situation).

Do five of these, and the skill of thinking on your feet becomes more automatic.

Bonus: record it on your phone and watch it back.

It’s painful.

But it’s also the fastest fix there is to get better at speaking impromptu.

Exercise 2: The News Take Drill

Pick a news article about your industry.

Give yourself 90 seconds to react to it out loud, in OREO.

What’s your take? Why? What’s your evidence? What’s the one action?

You’re training your brain to form a clear opinion fast, on things that matter in your industry.

Exercise 3: The Podcast Pause Drill

Play your favorite podcast.

Then, when the host asks the guest an interesting question … hit pause.

Now answer the questions yourself, out loud, before you un-pause and hear the guest.

(Just make sure you’re not driving).

This way, you’re rehearsing your ability to think on the spot on real questions – from real experts.

Exercise 4: The Voice Note Drill

One of the best ways to learn to think on your feet is using voice notes.

For example, next time you get a message over WhatsApp or Signal asking for project update or a “what do you think?”, reply with a voice note.

Replay it once before you send. You’ll catch every ramble.

And then do it again.

Do a few of these a day for a couple of weeks.

(This is one of my favorite techniques for getting more reps in to improve my impromptu speaking skills).

Try this the next time you’re put on the spot

Under pressure, your brain has no filter and no structure.

Psychologists call it cognitive overload.

That’s why you either go blank, or ramble.

OREO gives your brain a clear structure upon which to build your thinking.

One Thing. Reasoning. Evidence. One Action.

OREO is one of many possible frameworks, but its a versatile and useful one. So the next time someone puts you on the spot, pause.

Think “One Thing.”

Then add in Reason and Evidence.

And, as a bonus point, include an One Action for the next step. Now you’ve gone from “I hate impromptu speaking” to being able to think on your feet and answer in a way that’s genuinely useful and interesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop rambling when I’m nervous?

Pick one point before you speak, and say it first. Rambling is a structure problem, not a knowledge problem. Lead with a single clear statement and your brain stops scanning for everything at once.

What’s the difference between OREO and PREP?

PREP is Point, Reason, Example, Point. OREO is One Thing, Reasoning, Evidence, One Action. Same opening logic – but OREO swaps the repeated point for a forward-looking action.

Can you actually learn to think on your feet?

Yes. It’s a structure, not a gift. The people who seem naturally quick have just internalized a framework so deeply they don’t notice they’re using one.

Where can I practice impromptu speaking skills?

Low-stakes moments are best for practice. Think team meetings, casual Q&A, even dinner conversations. Toastmasters and improv help too. But the real reps come from applying a framework in everyday talk.

About the author

Akash Karia is a keynote speaker and author. For 15 years he’s helped leaders communicate with clarity and confidence under pressure, working with teams at companies like Gucci, Sony, FedEx, and TikTok. He delivers communication keynotes and workshops across Asia Pacific. Book Akash for a corporate keynote or workshop.

Does Personality Predict Leadership Effectiveness? Not Really.

Akash Karia — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:15:25 +0000

Executive Summary

Does personality predict leadership effectiveness? Yes, but only partially. Research shows personality assessments predict approximately 31% of leadership performance, leaving 69% unexplained.¹ If you’re using personality tests to hire or develop leaders, this matters. You may be missing critical factors that determine whether someone will actually lead effectively. In this evidence-based guide, you’ll discover:

How accurately personality tests predict leadership performance and what the numbers actually mean
Four critical limitations of using assessments like the Big Five for leadership selection
What’s missing from standard personality tests that matters for leadership effectiveness
How to assess leadership potential using a more complete, research-backed framework

Reading time: 12 minutes Best for: HR leaders, L&D professionals, executives, talent management teams.

How Accurately Do Personality Tests Predict Leadership Effectiveness?

Personality tests are moderately accurate for predicting leadership effectiveness, but far from complete. The Big Five personality model (measuring Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism) is the most research-backed assessment available for understanding personality’s role in leadership. A landmark meta-analysis led by Timothy Judge examined dozens of studies on personality and leadership, combining the results to identify broader patterns. The research team found a correlation of 0.48 between Big Five personality traits and leadership effectiveness.² What does a 0.48 correlation actually mean? Let me explain in plain language. A correlation measures how strongly two things are connected, on a scale from 0 to 1.

A correlation of 0 would mean personality and leadership effectiveness have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Knowing someone’s personality would tell you nothing about their leadership.
A correlation of 1 would mean personality and leadership effectiveness are perfectly linked. If you knew someone’s personality scores, you could predict exactly how effective they’d be as a leader.
A correlation of 0.48 sits roughly in the middle. It means personality and leadership effectiveness are meaningfully connected. This isn’t random chance.

Here’s another way to think about it: In research terms, a 0.48 correlation means personality explains approximately 23% of the differences in leadership effectiveness between people. (You get this by squaring the correlation: 0.48 × 0.48 = 0.23, or 23%.) What this means practically: If you knew everything about a leader’s personality, you could explain roughly one-quarter of why some leaders are effective and others aren’t. That’s meaningful. Personality genuinely matters for leadership.³ This is why relying solely on personality assessments creates significant blind spots in your leadership selection and development processes.

What Percentage of Leadership Performance Is Explained by Personality?

Personality accounts for approximately 23-31% of leadership performance. The 23% figure comes from Judge’s research, based on the 0.48 correlation discussed above.² A separate meta-analysis led by Scott Derue looked at both personality traits AND leadership behaviors together, finding they explain 31% of the variance in leadership effectiveness.¹ Let me translate “31% of variance in leadership effectiveness” into everyday language. “Variance” is a statistical term that simply means “differences between people.” Imagine 100 leaders in your organization. Some are exceptional: their teams thrive, they hit targets, and people want to work for them. Some are average. Some are struggling, with high turnover, missed goals, and disengaged teams. There’s a wide range of differences in how effective these leaders are. When researchers say personality and behaviors explain “31% of variance in leadership effectiveness,” they mean: If you could understand ALL the reasons why some of your leaders are effective and others aren’t, personality traits and behaviors would account for about one-third of those reasons. Think of it like a pie chart. The whole pie represents “everything that determines leadership effectiveness.” The personality + behavior slice takes up about one-third of that pie. The remaining 69% (more than two-thirds of the pie) comes from other factors:

Integrity and ethical character
Quality of relationships with team members
Fit with the organizational context
Alignment with cultural expectations of leadership
Emotional intelligence and self-awareness
Situational factors and opportunities
And more

Why does this matter for your organization? This research doesn’t mean personality tests are useless for predicting leadership effectiveness. A test that explains 31% of something is genuinely valuable. But it does mean personality tests are incomplete. If you’re treating them as the whole picture, or even the primary picture, you’re missing more than two-thirds of what determines whether someone will lead effectively.

What Are the Limitations of Using Personality Tests for Leadership Selection?

Four critical limitations affect personality tests when used to predict leadership effectiveness:

They miss essential traits that predict leadership performance, like integrity
They only explain approximately 31% of leadership effectiveness
Their accuracy for predicting leadership performance varies dramatically by context
They don’t account for cultural differences in leadership expectations

Let me walk through each limitation and what it means for your organization.

Limitation 1: What Traits That Predict Leadership Effectiveness Are Missing From Personality Tests?

Standard personality tests miss several traits that research shows are critical for leadership performance. Personality researcher Dan McAdams has long argued that while the Big Five is important, it’s fundamentally incomplete for understanding what makes leaders effective. The five factors simply don’t capture the full range of traits that predict leadership performance.⁴ Key traits that predict leadership effectiveness but aren’t measured by the Big Five:

Missing Trait	Why It Matters for Leadership Performance
Integrity	Drives follower trust and discretionary effort; essential for ethical leadership⁵
Self-confidence	Enables decisive action under uncertainty; followers look for confidence in leaders⁶
Need for power	Motivates influence and organizational impact; drives desire to lead⁷

Let’s focus on integrity and its impact on leadership effectiveness. Leadership scholars Michael Brown and Linda Treviño have extensively studied ethical leadership, placing integrity at the center of what makes leaders effective over time.⁸ Similarly, research on authentic leadership by William Gardner and colleagues identifies integrity as foundational to sustained leadership effectiveness.⁹ Brown’s research found a direct connection between perceived leader integrity and team performance: when followers perceive their leader as having high integrity, they demonstrate significantly more organizational citizenship behaviors. These are the discretionary efforts that drive team performance beyond minimum requirements.¹⁰ In plain language: Leaders with integrity get more from their teams. People go the extra mile for leaders they trust. Yet the Big Five doesn’t include an integrity dimension. Neither do most other popular personality assessments used for leadership selection. What this means for predicting leadership effectiveness: If personality tests are your primary tool for evaluating leaders, you may be selecting people who “test well” but lack the integrity, confidence, or motivation to actually lead effectively. You might hire someone high in Extraversion and Conscientiousness (traits the Big Five measures) but miss that they lack the integrity that would make their team trust and follow them. Consider supplementing personality assessments with tools that specifically measure values, ethical reasoning, and integrity when evaluating leadership potential.

Limitation 2: Why Do Personality Tests Only Explain 31% of Leadership Effectiveness?

Personality tests capture only one perspective on leadership, and effective leadership requires multiple perspectives. The 31% figure from Derue’s research reveals a fundamental limitation: even when you combine personality traits AND observable leadership behaviors, you’re still leaving more than two-thirds of what makes leaders effective unexplained.¹ Why is so much of leadership effectiveness unexplained by personality? Leadership scholars George Graen and Mary Uhl-Bien have argued that understanding what makes leaders effective requires what they call a “pluralism of perspectives.”¹¹ Leadership can be studied, and predicted, from three different angles:

Leader-centric perspective: What traits and behaviors does the leader bring to the role?
Follower-centric perspective: How do followers experience and respond to the leader?
Relational perspective: What is the quality of the relationship between leader and followers?

Personality tests only capture the first perspective. They tell you about the individual leader’s traits, but leadership effectiveness happens between people, not inside one person. A leader might have all the “right” personality traits but fail to build trusting relationships with their team. Another leader might have a “less ideal” personality profile but excel at connecting with people and earning their commitment. Research confirms: multiple perspectives predict leadership effectiveness better than personality alone. Studies by several research teams found that when leadership effectiveness was measured from multiple perspectives simultaneously (leader traits, follower perceptions, and relationship quality), predictive accuracy increased substantially.¹² In plain language: When you combine what leaders say about themselves, what their followers say about them, AND how strong the relationship is, you get much better predictions of leadership effectiveness than when you only look at personality. What this means for predicting leadership performance: Build evaluation systems that go beyond personality. Incorporate 360-degree feedback, follower perception surveys, and relationship quality measures. You’ll get significantly better predictions about who will actually lead effectively.

Limitation 3: Does Personality Predict Leadership Effectiveness the Same Way in Every Context?

No. The accuracy of personality tests for predicting leadership effectiveness varies dramatically depending on the organizational context. This is one of the most overlooked findings in leadership research. Judge’s meta-analysis found that the Big Five had:²

Higher predictive validity for leadership effectiveness in student and unstructured settings
Lower predictive validity for leadership effectiveness in military and structured settings

What does “higher and lower predictive validity” mean in plain language? “Predictive validity” measures how well a test actually predicts what it claims to predict. Higher predictive validity means that if someone scores well on the personality test, they’re more likely to be an effective leader in that context. Lower predictive validity means the personality test scores don’t tell you as much about who will lead effectively in that context.

Why does organizational context change how well personality predicts leadership effectiveness?

Researchers Robert House, Scott Shane, and David Herold examined this question and found that context shapes how much individual personality can influence outcomes.¹³ In unstructured environments (startups, project teams, new initiatives, creative roles), there’s more room for individual personality to drive behavior and results. The organization doesn’t constrain you as much. Your personality has space to shape how you lead and what outcomes you achieve. In highly structured environments (military units, large corporations, heavily regulated industries, established hierarchies), systems, processes, and procedures constrain individual differences. Your personality matters less for leadership effectiveness because the organization’s rules and structures matter more. What this means for using personality tests to predict leadership performance: Never interpret personality assessment results in a vacuum. Always consider: What context will this leader operate in? Ask yourself:

Is this a structured or unstructured environment?
How much does this role require working within established systems vs. creating new approaches?
Does this environment reward the traits this person has, or constrain them?

A personality profile that predicts leadership effectiveness in one context may predict ineffective leadership in another.

Limitation 4: Does Culture Affect What Makes Leaders Effective?

Significantly. Cultural expectations fundamentally shape what “effective leadership” looks like, and personality tests don’t account for this. The Big Five approach assumes leadership effectiveness can be measured objectively: that there’s one set of traits that makes someone an effective leader everywhere. Researchers call this a positivist paradigm.¹⁴ But a growing body of research shows leadership effectiveness is at least partly socially constructed. It exists in the perceptions and expectations of followers.¹⁵ In plain language: Whether someone is seen as an “effective leader” depends partly on whether they match what followers expect a leader to be. What is implicit leadership theory and how does it affect leadership effectiveness? Researcher Robert Lord and his colleagues developed Implicit Leadership Theory (ILT) to explain the unconscious mental models people hold about what traits and characteristics define a “real leader.”¹⁶ Everyone carries around an internal picture of what leaders should look like, sound like, and act like. We measure the people around us against this mental template, usually without realizing we’re doing it. These implicit theories directly impact who is perceived as an effective leader.¹⁷ They help explain why the same leadership behaviors produce different effectiveness ratings in different contexts.¹⁸

The GLOBE Project: How Culture Shapes Leadership Effectiveness

The GLOBE project, led by Robert House and involving researchers across dozens of countries, studied leadership expectations across cultures and identified six “culturally endorsed implicit leadership theories.”¹⁹ Different cultures expect fundamentally different things from their leaders:

Culture	What Makes Leaders “Effective”	Implication for Personality
France	Higher power-orientation, lower humane-orientation	Effective leaders are more directive and authoritative; high agreeableness may signal weakness
United States	Balanced expectations	Approachability valued alongside decisiveness
Nordic countries	High on participation and egalitarianism	Consensus-building expected; dominant personality may backfire
East Asian cultures	Emphasis on humility and group harmony	Self-promotion associated with personality tests may not translate to effectiveness

Here’s what this means for leadership effectiveness: Leadership researchers Mansour Javidan, Peter Dorfman, and colleagues found that a leader high in agreeableness might be perceived as collaborative and effective in one culture, and weak and indecisive in another.²⁰ Same personality. Same behaviors. Completely different ratings of leadership effectiveness. What this means for using personality tests to predict leadership performance: If you lead global teams or operate across cultures, personality test results alone can mislead you about who will lead effectively. A candidate who “tests well” for your headquarters culture may struggle to lead effectively in a different cultural context. This isn’t because their personality is wrong, but because their personality doesn’t match what that culture expects from leaders. Assess cultural intelligence alongside personality. Help leaders understand the implicit leadership expectations in the specific environments where they’ll operate.

How Should You Assess Leadership Potential? A More Complete Framework

Use multiple methods that capture what personality tests miss, and predict leadership effectiveness more accurately. Based on the research we’ve examined, here’s an evidence-based framework for assessing leadership potential that goes beyond personality alone.

The Five-Pillar Leadership Assessment Framework

Pillar 1: Assess the Full Spectrum of Traits That Predict Leadership Effectiveness Don’t stop at personality. Measure the traits that personality tests miss but research shows predict leadership performance.

What to Assess	How to Assess It	Why It Predicts Leadership Effectiveness
Big Five personality traits	Validated personality assessment	Explains ~23% of leadership effectiveness²
Integrity and values	Values assessment, integrity testing, structured behavioral interviews	Drives follower trust, predicts ethical leadership⁵
Emotional intelligence	EQ assessments, behavioral observation	Predicts relationship quality with teams
Motivation and drive	Motivational assessments, career history analysis	Predicts sustained leadership effort⁷
Self-confidence	Behavioral interviews, simulation exercises	Predicts decisive action under uncertainty⁶

Pillar 2: Gather Multiple Perspectives on Leadership Performance Leadership effectiveness happens between people. Get data from all angles.

Perspective	Method	What It Tells You
Self-perception	Self-assessments, reflection exercises	How the leader sees themselves
Supervisor view	Manager evaluations, performance reviews	How the leader performs against organizational expectations
Peer view	Peer feedback, 360-degree assessments	How the leader collaborates and influences laterally
Direct report view	Upward feedback, team surveys	How the leader is experienced by those they lead
External view	Customer feedback, stakeholder input	How the leader represents the organization

Research shows multi-perspective assessment predicts leadership effectiveness significantly better than single-source evaluation.¹¹ In plain language: The more angles you look at a leader from, the more accurate your prediction of their effectiveness. Pillar 3: Evaluate Context Fit (Match Assessment Interpretation to the Environment) The same personality predicts different levels of leadership effectiveness in different contexts.²

Context Factor	Questions to Ask	Why It Matters for Predicting Leadership Effectiveness
Structure level	Is this a startup environment or established hierarchy?	Personality predicts leadership better in unstructured environments
Ambiguity tolerance required	How much uncertainty will this leader face?	Some personalities thrive in ambiguity; others need clarity
Autonomy level	How much independent decision-making is expected?	High autonomy amplifies personality’s impact on leadership effectiveness
Change pace	Is this a stable or rapidly evolving environment?	Openness to experience matters more in changing environments

Pillar 4: Account for Cultural Expectations of Leadership “Effective leadership” looks different in different cultures.¹⁹ ²⁰

Cultural Factor	Assessment Approach	Why It Matters
Cultural intelligence (CQ)	CQ assessments	Predicts ability to lead effectively across cultures
Implicit leadership fit	Compare candidate traits to local leadership expectations	A “match” predicts effectiveness in that context
Adaptability	Track record across different cultural contexts	Past adaptation predicts future effectiveness
Self-awareness	Does the leader understand their cultural biases?	Cultural self-awareness enables adjustment

Pillar 5: Develop Leadership Performance Holistically Don’t just select for personality. Develop the full range of capabilities that drive leadership effectiveness.

Development Focus	Approach	Impact on Leadership Effectiveness
Beyond traits	Develop behaviors, skills, and relationships, not just personality awareness	Behaviors and relationships drive the 69% personality doesn’t explain
Contextual intelligence	Build awareness of how context shapes what makes leaders effective	Enables adaptation to different situations
Cultural agility	Develop ability to adapt leadership style to cultural expectations	Expands contexts where leader can be effective
Continuous feedback	Create loops for ongoing development	Enables course-correction

What Traits Actually Predict Leadership Performance?

Effective leadership requires traits beyond what personality tests measure, and research identifies several categories. Traits measured by the Big Five (explain ~23% of leadership effectiveness):²

Trait	Relationship to Leadership Effectiveness
Extraversion	Moderate positive: more extraverted leaders tend to be rated more effective
Conscientiousness	Moderate positive: organized, reliable leaders tend to perform better
Openness to experience	Moderate positive: important in changing environments
Emotional stability	Moderate positive: calm under pressure predicts effectiveness
Agreeableness	Context-dependent: helps in some cultures, hinders in others

Traits NOT measured by the Big Five but critical for leadership effectiveness:

Trait	Why It Predicts Leadership Performance
Integrity	Drives follower trust and discretionary effort⁵ ¹⁰
Self-confidence	Enables decisive action; followers look for confidence⁶
Need for power	Motivates influence and organizational impact⁷
Emotional intelligence	Predicts relationship quality and follower engagement
Cultural intelligence	Predicts leadership effectiveness across cultures¹⁹

Beyond traits (other factors that predict leadership effectiveness):

Factor	Why It Matters
Relationship quality with followers	Explains effectiveness beyond leader traits¹¹
Alignment with cultural expectations	Determines whether followers perceive leader as effective²⁰
Fit with organizational context	Same traits produce different effectiveness in different contexts¹³
Demonstrated behaviors	What leaders actually DO matters, not just their tendencies¹

This is why comprehensive assessment predicts leadership effectiveness better than personality testing alone.

Why Do Personality Tests Sometimes Fail to Predict Leadership Effectiveness?

Personality tests don’t fail completely, but they fail to capture the complete picture of what makes leaders effective. When organizations rely too heavily on personality assessments for leadership selection and development, they encounter predictable problems:

Problem	Why It Happens	Impact on Leadership Effectiveness
“Great on paper” leaders who underperform	Assessment missed integrity, context fit, or cultural alignment	Selected for traits but missed factors that drive actual effectiveness
High performers rejected for “wrong” personality	Rigid trait criteria missed contexts where their traits would excel	Lost effective leaders who didn’t match narrow profile
Development programs that don’t improve leadership	Focused on personality awareness without addressing behaviors, skills, relationships	Developed traits but missed the 69% personality doesn’t explain
Global leadership failures	Didn’t account for different cultural expectations of leaders	Leaders effective in one culture fail in another

The core issue: Personality tests are designed to measure personality traits. They do that job well. The failure happens when we treat personality measurement as leadership effectiveness prediction: when we assume that knowing someone’s personality means knowing how effective a leader they’ll be. Personality explains about 23-31% of leadership effectiveness.¹ ² That’s valuable information. But it means 69-77% of what determines leadership effectiveness isn’t captured. The solution isn’t abandoning personality tests. It’s using them as one input among several, interpreted within context, combined with other assessment methods, and supplemented with measures of what personality tests miss.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should organizations assess leadership potential?

Assess leadership potential using multiple methods that capture what personality tests miss: (1) personality assessments as one data point, not the only data point; (2) 360-degree feedback from supervisors, peers, and direct reports to get multiple perspectives;¹¹ (3) behavioral interviews and work simulations to see how candidates actually lead; (4) integrity and values assessments to capture what Big Five misses;⁵ and (5) context-specific evaluation considering where the leader will operate.¹³ Research shows combining multiple perspectives predicts leadership effectiveness significantly better than any single-source assessment.

What percentage of leadership effectiveness is explained by personality?

Research indicates personality explains approximately 23-31% of leadership effectiveness. The 23% figure comes from Judge’s meta-analysis, which found a 0.48 correlation between Big Five personality traits and leadership.² Squaring this correlation gives you the percentage of effectiveness “explained” by personality. The 31% figure comes from Derue’s research, which found traits and behaviors together explain 31% of leadership effectiveness.¹ In plain language: about one-quarter to one-third of why some leaders are effective and others aren’t can be traced to personality and behavior.

What is implicit leadership theory and how does it affect leadership effectiveness?

Implicit Leadership Theory, developed by Robert Lord and colleagues, refers to the unconscious mental models people hold about what traits and characteristics define a leader.¹⁶ Everyone carries around an internal picture of what “real leaders” look like, and we measure actual leaders against this mental template, often without realizing it. These expectations directly affect who is perceived as an effective leader.¹⁷ A leader whose personality matches what followers expect will be rated more effective than one whose personality doesn’t match, even if their actual behaviors and results are similar. This is why the same leader can be seen as effective in one culture and ineffective in another.

Does culture affect what makes leaders effective?

Yes, significantly. The GLOBE project found that different cultures hold fundamentally different expectations of leaders.¹⁹ For example, effective leaders in France are expected to be more directive and authoritative, so a highly agreeable leader might be seen as weak. In Nordic cultures, effective leaders are expected to build consensus, so a dominant, decisive leader might be seen as autocratic. Research by Javidan and colleagues shows that a leader with identical personality traits may be rated as highly effective in one culture and ineffective in another.²⁰ Personality tests don’t capture these cultural differences in leadership expectations.

What’s the best personality test for predicting leadership effectiveness?

The Big Five (Five Factor Model) has the strongest research support for predicting leadership effectiveness, with Judge’s meta-analysis finding a 0.48 correlation.² This is higher than other personality frameworks. However, no personality test alone is sufficient for predicting leadership effectiveness. For best results, combine Big Five assessment with integrity and values measures,⁵ 360-degree feedback from multiple perspectives,¹¹ behavioral interviews that assess past leadership performance, and context-specific evaluation.¹³ This multi-method approach captures what personality tests miss and significantly improves prediction accuracy.

Want Evidence-Based Leadership Insights for Your Organization?

I deliver high-impact programs on: wellbeing, storytelling for leaders, and persuasive leadership communication for organizations that want more than motivational platitudes. They want research-backed insights that actually improve leadership effectiveness. I’ve delivered keynotes in 25 countries, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, USA, and more. If you’re planning an executive retreat, leadership summit, or company-wide event and you want your leaders to walk away with practical frameworks they can immediately use to become more effective, let’s talk.

References

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Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). The Competent Manager: A Model for Effective Performance. John Wiley & Sons.
McClelland, D. C., & Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). Leadership motive pattern and long-term success in management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67(6), 737-743.
Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions. The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), 595-616.
Gardner, W. L., Cogliser, C. C., Davis, K. M., & Dickens, M. P. (2011). Authentic leadership: A review of the literature and research agenda. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(6), 1120-1145.
Brown, M. E. (2005). Ethical leadership: A social learning perspective for construct development and testing. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 97(2), 117-134.
Graen, G. B., & Uhl-Bien, M. (1995). Relationship-based approach to leadership: Development of leader-member exchange (LMX) theory of leadership over 25 years. The Leadership Quarterly, 6(2), 219-247.
See: Basu, R. (1991). An empirical examination of leader-member exchange and transformational leadership as predictors of innovative behavior. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Purdue University; Tierney, P., Farmer, S. M., & Graen, G. B. (1999). An examination of leadership and employee creativity: The relevance of traits and relationships. Personnel Psychology, 52(3), 591-620; Scott, S. G., & Bruce, R. A. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37(3), 580-607.
House, R. J., Shane, S. A., & Herold, D. M. (1996). Rumors of the death of dispositional research are vastly exaggerated. Academy of Management Review, 21(1), 203-224.
Hudson, L. A., & Ozanne, J. L. (1988). Alternative ways of seeking knowledge in consumer research. Journal of Consumer Research, 14(4), 508-521.
Hunt, J. G., & Dodge, G. E. (2000). Leadership déjà vu all over again. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 435-458.
Lord, R. G., Foti, R. J., & De Vader, C. L. (1984). A test of leadership categorization theory: Internal structure, information processing, and leadership perceptions. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 34(3), 343-378.
Sy, T., Shore, L. M., Strauss, J., Shore, T. H., Tram, S., Whiteley, P., & Ikeda-Muromachi, K. (2010). Leadership perceptions as a function of race–occupation fit: The case of Asian Americans. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5), 902-919.
Yukl, G. (2019). Leadership in Organizations (9th ed.). Pearson.
House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: An introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37(1), 3-10.
Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., De Luque, M. S., & House, R. J. (2006). In the eye of the beholder: Cross cultural lessons in leadership from project GLOBE. Academy of Management Perspectives, 20(1), 67-90.
Lord, R. G., & Emrich, C. G. (2001). Thinking outside the box by looking inside the box: Extending the cognitive revolution in leadership research. The Leadership Quarterly, 11(4), 551-579.

Craft a Personal Brand Story for Sales: The 3 Key Elements

Akash Karia — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:01:30 +0000

In this in-depth article, you’ll learn how to craft a personal brand story for sales. Learn how storytelling helps you connect with clients in seconds, build trust, and win more sales.

Key Takeaways:

The fastest way to build influence is through a personal brand story, not credentials. Neuroscience proves storytelling syncs brains and triggers trust-building chemistry.
Clients form a “trust verdict” in the first 7 seconds. If you’re seen as a pushy salesperson, you’ve already lost the sale. A story helps you sell without selling.
Use The Backstory–Belief–Bridge storytelling framework to craft an effective personal brand story:
- Backstory: A meaningful experience that shaped your perspective.
- Belief: The key insight or lesson you learned.
- Bridge: How your experience helps solve the client’s specific problem.
The best personal brand stories are clear and concise. Forget those 15-step storytelling blueprints – the simple personal brand storytelling blueprint gives you exactly what you need for a real sales situation.

Let’s dive in…

Facing the “Who Are You?” Moment in Sales

I was recently leading workshops for a group of high-performing insurance salespeople who sell to affluent clients.

I asked the room a simple question:

“If you were put on the spot, could you introduce yourself in a way that actually makes the client want to work with you?”

In a room full of top-tier sales professionals, most hands stayed down.

They face the same high-stakes moment every day. Yet, for most of them, they’re unprepared with to answer.

If you are reading this, you likely face it too situation too. Whether you are meeting a prospective client for the first time or interviewing for a new job, you will have to answer the implied question:

“Who are you, and why should I listen to you?”

The Problem with Standard Sales Intros

Unfortunately, most salespeople default to the standard sales script when it comes to their self-intros:

“I’m the VP of Sales at X company.”
“We’ve been in business 10 years.”
“We have the best software in the industry.”
“We’ve won XYZ award for the last 5 years in a row.”

It’s boring.

It’s dull.

And it wastes your only chance to frame yourself as a trusted expert before the real conversation begins.

Clients Form a “Trust Verdict” in 7 Seconds.

According to psychology research on rapid cognition, the human brain makes a snap judgment about your competence and trustworthiness within the first seven seconds of an interaction. Your client’s brain is subconsciously asking: “Is this person a threat (a pushy salesperson) or an ally (a trusted expert)?”

Once that judgment is made, it acts as a cognitive filter:

If they tag you as a “salesperson,” their brain will actively look for reasons to say no.
If they tag you as a “trusted expert” at the start, they remain more open-minded to your pitch.

What Are The Elements of a Personal Brand Sales Story?

Most articles about personal branding and storytelling drown you in complex, 27-step hero’s journeys.

But in a live sales conversation, you need something you can actually remember and deliver in under 60 seconds. When it comes to a personal brand story, simplicity wins.

And this is exactly where the Backstory–Belief–Bridge framework comes in. It is the simplest and best way I’ve found to structure the key elements of a personal brand story for sales.

Here is how it works:

Part #1: Backstory

You start with I call the “spark”. This is a moment, pattern, or real-life observation that pulled you into your line of work. Maybe it was a challenge you faced, something you saw clients struggle with again and again, or a trend you noticed in your industry.

Part #2: Belief

What did you learn from your backstory? It might be a single insight that changed the way you think or work, or a hard truth you figured out by watching others. Some people discover this through personal transformation. Others see it play out for clients over years on the job. Your Belief is the core lesson – the “aha” that shapes your approach.

Part 3: Bridge

The Bridge connects your belief to the client in front of you. It’s your way of saying, “Here’s how the lesson I’ve learned becomes a practical solution for you. I use what I know to make your job easier, solve your problem, and help you achieve what really matters.”

Example 1: The Consultant Story

Here is the exact script I use when introducing myself to potential clients. Notice how it flows through the framework:

[Backstory] “Hi, I’m Akash. I’m actually an introvert turned global keynote speaker. Growing up, I was incredibly shy and terrified of public speaking.

[Belief] But I learned that building trust and persuasive communication aren’t ‘natural talents.’ They are skills that can be learned and practiced.

[Bridge] That’s why I’ve spent the last 15 years teaching these skills. My work has taken me to 23 countries, working with leaders at Gucci, Sony, and TikTok to help their teams communicate with more clarity and impact.”

Is this a perfect story? Absolutely not! But, it works.

Example 2: The Insurance Advisor Story

What if you don’t have a dramatic personal struggle (like mine, above)? That’s OK!

Instead, use a Client-Origin Backstory – i.e. a moment where you watched a client struggle, and how it changed your perspective:

[Backstory] “My name is Pauline. Early in my career, I watched a client’s family nearly lose a $50M business because their estate plan and insurance weren’t talking to each other. It was a messy, preventable crisis.

[Belief] That experience convinced me that for ultra-high-net-worth families, the essential thing is to…

[Bridge] That’s why I now focus exclusively on founders and family offices. I design insurance structures that preserve liquidity and integrate cleanly with your legal and tax plans, so your legacy is actually secure.”

Example 3: The Advisor for Expats Story

Let’s say you’re a wealth advisor for global citizens. Here’s how that story might sound:

[Backstory] “I’m Lucas. I had a client who moved from London to New York for a dream job. He did everything right with his investments in the UK, but he didn’t realize that moving to the US triggered a massive, unexpected tax bill on his foreign mutual funds. He lost 30% of his portfolio’s value to a tax mistake.

[Belief] That showed me that borders are the biggest risk to wealth. What is smart in one country can be toxic in another if you don’t have someone looking at the whole map.

[Bridge] That’s why I specialize in cross-border wealth. I coordinate your assets between jurisdictions to make sure your money moves as freely as you do, without getting caught in tax traps.”

How to Craft Your Personal Brand Story

Your introduction doesn’t need drama or a Hollywood narrative. All it needs is clarity:

A backstory that shows you truly see your clients’ world,
A belief that signals how you think about their challenges, and
A bridge that connects your experience to what matters most to them.

Your personal brand story shapes how the client sees you. Create one that matters. Akash

P.S. Want your sales team to pitch more effectively, tell winning stories, and close with more confidence? That’s exactly what I help teams and executives do.

If you’re ready to bring world-class sales and storytelling training to your team, let’s talk.

Storytelling Training for Technical Teams

Akash Karia — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:59:46 +0000

Ever sat through a technical presentation and thought, “Wow, that was…uninspiring?” If your team struggles with this, you’re not alone. That’s exactly why storytelling training for technical teams has become essential for engineers, analysts, and research professionals. If your team’s data is failing to drive action, it’s not because of the content. It’s because nobody taught them how to tell a persuasive story. If you’d like to discuss customized training for your team, go here.

Here’s Why Teams Struggle with Technical Presentations

Most technical professionals aren’t trained as storytellers. They’re taught to report facts, not guide their audience on a compelling journey. But here’s the secret: Humans remember stories, not statistics.

In fact, according to the research, after one day people remember 68% of stories but only 27% of statistics.

When your team can transform technical information into a meaningful narrative, everything changes: funding gets approved, stakeholders buy in, and change becomes easier with the right story (research).

Your team probably has:

✓ Strong technical expertise ✓ Solid data and research ✓ Important findings to share

But they’re likely missing:

✗ A framework for engaging audiences ✗ Confidence presenting to executives and decision-makers ✗ The ability to make complex information memorable

When technical professionals don’t know how to tell their story, good ideas die in conference rooms.

The 5-Step Framework that Works

After more than a decade supporting technical professionals, engineers, and analysts, I’ve developed a five-step tech presentation training framework proven to help teams transform technical information into persuasive presentations.

Step #1. Open with a Question, Not Data

Every compelling technical presentation begins with a genuine question or challenge – not with data or methodology. This primes your audience’s curiosity and signals that you’re taking them on a journey to find an answer.

Open with a genuine problem your audience cares about, not data.

✗ “We analyzed retention data”
✓ “Why do 40% of our customers leave in year one?”

Here’s an example of how Dan Gartenberg, in his TED Talk, hooks the audience into his talk with a question:

Ask yourself: What’s the core question your team is trying to answer? Frame it in human terms, not technical jargon. This becomes your opening hook.

Step #2. Put Real People in Your Story

Bring your research or project to life by humanizing it.

Instead of abstract descriptions, introduce the people involved and why the problem matters.

✗ “A study was conducted”
✓”Our head of customer success, Priya, noticed something troubling: high-value customers were leaving silently. She wasn’t sure why.”

Highlight the main character. Just one human detail can make a big difference.

Step #3. Build Suspense with the Journey

Don’t rush through methodology. Instead, walk your audience through the journey as if you’re unfolding a mystery.

Here’s an example of how to do it right:

“The researchers designed their study carefully.

They recruited 150 participants who struggled with high LDL cholesterol. They divided them into two groups randomly:

Group one received 10.5 grams of fiber supplement daily.

Group two received a placebo that looked identical.

Neither group knew which they were taking.

Both had their cholesterol measured at the start.

Then came the hardest part: waiting.

Twenty-six weeks passed.

Participants tracked their diet, took their daily dose, and returned for check-ins.

So, what did the data show?”

Notice how sharing the journey behind the research hooks you right in? Let your audience follow the research discovery with you. Ray Kuzweil does this really well in his talk (starting @ 3:54):

The process is the story, so don’t neglect it.

Resource: Tell stories like the best TED speakers

Step #4. Reveal the Results with Context

Now you deliver the payoff – the results that your audience came for.

Here’s a quick look at how to do it incorrectly, and then how to do it right:

✗ “Results showed an 18% improvement”
✓ “At week 26, the results came back. The placebo group’s cholesterol remained essentially unchanged—right where they started. But the supplement group saw something striking: an average 18% reduction in LDL cholesterol.”

Connect the findings directly back to the opening question.

Step #5. End with A Clear Recommendation

Unfortunately, too many presenters let their presentations die with a weak conclusion.

Ever heard someone end their presentation with something like this?

✗ “In conclusion…yeah, those are the findings.”

Don’t be that person! Instead, have the confidence to make a clear recommendation. Suggest the next steps based on your interpretation of the data. Example:

✓ “This insight changes how we think about retention.

Instead of trying to re-engage churning customers, we need to focus on the first week.

Here’s my first recommendation:

We should focus on the first week of the customer onboarding journey because that’s where retention is won or lost. Specifically, we could try…”

Want a perfect example of someone who does all this really well? Look no further than Hans Rosling.

When giving a technical presentation, ask yourself: What does your finding mean for your audience?

What should they do with this information?

Give them a concrete next step and a clear way to engage.

The Workshop: 4 Core Modules For Technical Presentation Mastery

Of course, there’s a lot more to it than what I’ve shared in the article. In my corporate workshops, we dive into 4 core modules. These are:

Module 1: Discover the Story

Identify the core message hidden in your data
Simplify complex concepts into narratives anyone can follow
Frame technical information in ways that align with executive and client priorities

Module 2: Connect to Your Audience

Highlight the “so what” that connects your insights to business priorities
Adapt your narrative style for technical vs. non-technical audiences
Anticipate objections and weave in supporting evidence that builds trust

Module 3: Create an Aha Moment

Make insights memorable with storytelling techniques and narrative arcs
Avoid common presentation mistakes that kill most technical pitches
Create “aha” moments that move stakeholders to act

Module 4: Deliver with Poise

Present your technical story with confidence, poise, and authority
Handle tough questions, objections, or scrutiny with composure
Combine clarity, conviction, and executive presence to create winning stories

What You Can Expect From the Training

Having worked with engineers, data analysts, and researchers, I’ve seen firsthand how the right storytelling training for technical teams makes presentations engaging and memorable.”

During the live storytelling workshop, your team will get:

Hands-on practice in turning raw data into engaging stories
Tailored exercises for scientific, engineering, or business presentations
Real-time coaching that builds skills in executive and stakeholder engagement
Frameworks for communicating technical concepts clearly and confidently
Boosted confidence presenting to any audience

A Self-Assessment: Is Your Team’s Communication Effective?

Ask yourself:

Do your team’s technical presentations often get overlooked or forgotten soon after the meeting?
Are stakeholders or decision-makers failing to see the true impact of your team’s work?
Do team members feel anxious or lose confidence when presenting to high-level executives or external audiences?
Are great ideas or valuable research stalling because they aren’t communicated clearly?
Does your team struggle to make complex information clear and memorable for non-technical listeners?

If you nodded yes to even one, your team stands to gain a lot from our in-depth and focused storytelling training for technical teams.

Ready to Level Up Your Team’s Technical Presentations?

If you want to explore this for your team, let’s talk.

Schedule a free consultation, and we’ll discuss what would work best for your group.

Schedule a free consultation here.

FAQs:

Q: Will this technical storytelling training work for our engineers, analysts or researchers? A: Absolutely. Technical professionals excel once they can translate logical data into a story arc. This technical storytelling training gives engineers, scientists, analysts, and developers proven techniques for communicating technical ideas and making any presentation – research findings, product demos, or executive briefings – clear, memorable, and persuasive.

Q: Is this just public speaking training? A: No, this program is focused on structuring complex information as a clear, memorable story. While public speaking skills are helpful (and will be partly covered), the focus is on mastering the art of storytelling.

Q: What types of presentations are covered? A: The training applies to research findings, project pitches, R&D briefings, technical sales demos, product launches, internal updates, and executive presentations. Essentially any setting where technical information needs to drive some kind of action.

Q: Is the workshop offered virtually, on-site, or both? A: We deliver workshops both on-site and virtually, making it easy to accommodate distributed or international teams.

Q: How interactive is the training? Will our team get to practice? A: The workshop is hands-on and interactive. Your team will learn by doing .. through tailored exercises, live feedback, and real practice with their own presentation topics. Clients say that these workshops are some of the best they’ve ever attended, partly because of how hands-on and practical they are.

Q: How long are the workshops, and how many people can join? A: We offer flexible formats from 60-minute intensives to half-day workshops, for teams of any size. Contact us to discuss the best fit for your group.

Q: What outcomes can we expect after training? A: Teams consistently report higher confidence, improved stakeholder engagement, stronger business outcomes, and presentations that are remembered and acted upon.

Q: Are there any tools or takeaways included? A: Yes. Participants get exclusive access to storytelling templates, checklists, and presentation frameworks they can use for future technical talks.

Q: Why book Akash for storytelling training? A: A former introvert turned global communication keynote speaker, Akash has been ranked one of the top 10 communication experts in the world (Global Gurus, 2025). Akash’s workshops are known for their energy, relevance, and immediate takeaways. You and your team will be involved from start to finish, leaving inspired and equipped to tell stories that matter.

Steve Jobs Storytelling Techniques Every Presenter Can Learn From

Akash Karia — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 09:15:57 +0000

When you think about Jobs, you probably imagine the turtleneck, the stage, and the big reveal of iPhone. But the thing that made him brilliant wasn’t just the product. It was how he talked about the product. And there are several lessons from him that I think applies to anyone trying to pitch an idea, give a great presentation, or simply get people to care. Recently, I’ve been working with a global social media company, helping their sales teams master the art of pitching. And I kept finding myself pulling up videos of Steve Jobs to illustrate key principles of storytelling in action. So I thought I’d share some of those lessons with you:

1. Pain: Show what life looks like now

Imagine you’re introducing a brand-new device. Most people would say something like: “Here’s a phone that’s also a music player and a web browser.” Clear. Logical. But also… forgettable. Jobs did something different. He started by painting the “before” picture. What everyday life felt like at the time: Phones could only call and text. Music players were separate gadgets you had to carry around. Browsing the internet on mobile was slow and clunky. How to use this: Start your pitch by describing the current state of play. Show your audience what “life now” looks like without your solution. Be specific. The more clearly you describe it, the more relatable it becomes.

2. Escalate the tension, and let the pain sink in

Jobs didn’t immediately jump to the solution.

He didn’t just mention one problem and move on.

Instead, he kept stacking frustrations. One after another.

Each frustration made the pain sharper. Each example made the audience nod along, thinking, “Yes, that’s true… that’s awful.”

And here’s the genius part: after escalating the pain, he didn’t rush. He let it hang in the air. He gave the audience a beat to sit with that frustration. By the time he moved on, they weren’t just interested – they were hungry for the fix.

How to use this: Don’t stop at one problem. Layer them. Escalate the pain until your audience feels it in their gut. Create anticipation for the solution.

3. The bold promise and big reveal

Only after establishing the pain, and building anticipation, did Jobs deliver the bold promise we all remember: “Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” One sentence. No jargon. No feature dump. Just a bold promise that instantly reframed everything. How to use this: Position your idea, product, or proposal as the antidote that rescues the audience from the pain you just described. Keep it simple and memorable. Boil it down to one memorable sentence.

4. Paint the new reality

Jobs didn’t stop at saying “Here’s the iPhone.” He showed what life would look like after: one sleek device that handled calls, music, and internet all at once. It was a world where your pocket got lighter, your life simpler, and your experience smoother. How to use this: Don’t just describe the solution – describe the transformation. Show your audience what their “after” picture looks like. The more vividly you paint it, the more they’ll want it.

The Ingredients that Make This Storytelling Structure Work

You might be thinking – “That sounds fairly simple. Start with the pain, then the solution.” DUH. But the magic is in the execution of the framework. Because here’s what I’ve found: Even though most people know about the “problem-solution” structure, what do most people actually do? They skip past the pain. They dive straight into, “Here’s a product we built… Here’s why we’re great… Here are all our awards.” Why? Because they assume, “Well, the audience already knows about the pain. So let’s just dive into the reveal.” And in doing so, they kill all the dramatic tension and anticipation. But consider this: Even when people do start with the pain, they rarely create real tension. They mention a problem, then immediately jump to the fix. No anticipation, no build-up, no craving for a solution. Steve’s real genius was in the fact that he took a simple “problem-solution” structure, and then added contrast, escalation, anticipation, and finally – revelation – to create an AHA moment for his audience. Related: How to build executive presence

You can follow the same storytelling playbook:

Here’s how:

Show the pain of life now. Make it real, specific, relatable.
Escalate the pain, and let it sink in. Don’t rush. Create tension.
Reframe with one bold promise. Boil your idea into a single unforgettable line.
Paint the “after” picture. Make people feel the transformation.

That’s how you move from “informing” to inspiring people to action. Akash P.S. I’ve spent the last decade studying what makes words move people. I’ve had the privilege of working with teams at Gucci, FedEx, Sony, TikTok, EY, JP Morgan, and more. I help teams use the science of influence to pitch persuasively, stand out in a crowded marketplace, and drive sales . If you’d like to explore bringing this kind of training to your organization, get in touch here

Why your sales pitch fails

Akash Karia — Sat, 09 Aug 2025 01:45:17 +0000

Last month, I watched a pitch from a highly capable team to a senior decision-maker. It had the right data. The right slides. The right people in the room. And it still fell flat. The buyer was polite, but disengaged. They nodded along, thanked the team, and left. No spark. No urgency. No follow-up meeting booked. It’s a scene I’ve seen too often …and the root causes are always the same. Here’s where most sales pitches fail:

1/ Throwing data at the audience

Teams lead with numbers, charts, and stats. But they skip the “why it matters” part. Without context, data is noise. A slide showing “20% growth in the market” only works if you explain what that means for this decision, right now.

2/ Overstuffing the solutions

Instead of taking a stand, teams cram in every possible way they could help. “We have 7 solutions for you” sounds thorough – but it’s overwhelming. The buyer leaves without a clear takeaway.

3/ Reading from the slides

The moment you read bullet points word-for-word, you’ve told the room you’re not the expert – the deck is. Slides should support the story, not be the story.

4/ No new insight

If the decision-maker leaves thinking, “I could’ve gotten all of this from your website,” you’ve lost. Your job in the room is to teach them something – give them a new insight or perspective about their business or industry – that compels them to want to change.

5/ No narrative

Many presentations are just a collection of disconnected points. A strong story connects the dots. It has a beginning (the situation), a middle (the tension or opportunity), and an end (the action that changes the outcome). When you don’t have a clear story, your presentation is forgettable. The buyer is left with information, but no conviction. And in B2B, conviction is what drives decisions. More: 7 presentation pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

How to Fix This:

So, before you touch PowerPoint, ask yourself: – What’s the one change I want the audience to make after hearing me? – What story will make that change feel urgent and inevitable? – What’s the minimum amount of data I need to make the point? – Where’s the single insight that will make them sit forward in their chair? Get those right, and you won’t just inform … you’ll influence.

Wrap Up:

Data without meaning is noise.
Too many options create confusion.
Slides are support, not a script.
Insights earn attention.
Stories drive action.

👋 Hey, I’m Akash. I help leaders and sales teams tell stories that win deals, shift mindsets, and move people to act. If you’d like to work together, explore my business storytelling training here

Million Dollar Storytelling

Akash Karia — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:21:13 +0000

Represented by:

Speakers Connect

Akash Karia: Sales Influence Keynote Speaker

Akash Karia — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:26:50 +0000

Represented by:

Speakers Connect

Sales Autopsy: 7 Reasons You Lose Sales

Akash Karia — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 02:32:29 +0000

If you’re losing sales and don’t know why, you’re not alone. Deals don’t just disappear randomly – there are specific reasons buyers walk away.

The good news?

Once you identify the real reasons you lose sales, you can start fixing them.

Here’s what’s killing your deals and how to turn things around:

Key Takeaways:

Most buyers won’t tell you their real concerns. If they disappear without saying no, it’s because they have unspoken doubts. The only way to fix this is to ask direct questions and get them talking.
Talking about features won’t close the deal. Buyers don’t care what your product does. They care about fixing their problems. Lead with the pain, not the product.
Price isn’t the real objection. When buyers say, “It’s too expensive,” they really mean, “I don’t see the value.” Show them what they lose by not buying.
Trust matters more than persuasion. Buyers don’t believe sales pitches. They believe proof. Share real numbers, case studies, and be upfront about what your product can’t do.
One contact isn’t enough for B2B sales. If you’re only talking to one person, you’re probably not talking to the decision-maker. Map out who needs to sign off, or your deal will stall.
If you want to close more deals, you have to understand buyer psychology. Personal motives, office politics, and hidden fears play a bigger role than most salespeople realize. Dig deeper.
Weak follow-up kills deals. Buyers get busy and forget. If you’re only sending “just checking in” emails, you’re losing them. Follow up with real value to stay on their radar.

Reason #1. Buyers Have Doubts They Never Say Out Loud

The #1 reason sales deals fall through? Unspoken objections.

Buyers won’t always tell you their concerns. They’ll nod along, thank you for your time, and then vanish. Why? Because it’s easier than telling you, “I don’t think this is for me.”

How to fix it: Pull objections into the light. Ask:

• “What’s your biggest hesitation right now?”

• “What would stop you from moving forward today?”

You can’t fix an objection you never hear.

Reason #2. You’re Talking About the Product Instead of the Problem

Nobody wakes up thinking, I need a new SaaS platform today. They wake up thinking, I need to stop bleeding money on inefficient processes.

If you’re leading with features, you’ve already lost them.

How to fix it: Stop explaining what your product does.

Instead, start talking about the pain it solves: The broken process. The wasted time. The lost revenue. Once they feel the problem, your solution sells itself.

The best sales qualification questions you should be asking

Reason #3. They Don’t See the Value

Price is rarely the real issue. It’s just the easiest excuse.

When a prospect says, “It’s too expensive,” what they really mean is, “I don’t see how this is worth it.” They’re struggling to connect the dots between your offer and the impact it will have on their business. And if they can’t justify the cost, they won’t move forward.

How to fix it: Show them the cost of NOT buying.

Use data, real-world examples, and customer success stories to paint the picture. If your solution saves them 10 hours a week, quantify that in terms of productivity and dollars. If it eliminates a common risk, show them the potential losses they’re avoiding.

Reason #4. You’re Failing to Build Trust

Buyers don’t believe sales pitches. They believe proof.

They’ve heard “We’re the best” a hundred times. They don’t care. What they do care about? Seeing real proof that this works.

How to fix it: Show, don’t tell.

• Share case studies.

• Drop real numbers.

• Let customers do the talking with testimonials.

• Share your personal brand story to win trust

And if you want to build instant credibility?

Tell them what your product can’t do. If you’re not the right fit for something, say so.

Buyers trust the seller who’s honest about limitations.

Reason #5. You Don’t Understand the Power Structure

B2B sales deals don’t happen in a vacuum. There’s always an invisible room full of people weighing in. If you’re only talking to one person, you’re probably talking to the wrong person. How to fix it: Map the decision process. Ask: • “Who else needs to sign off on this?” • “What does your internal approval process look like?” If you don’t get ahead of the internal politics, your deal will die behind closed doors.

Reason #6. You’re Don’t Understand the Buyer Needs

You think you know what the buyer needs. But do you really?

Buyers don’t make decisions based on logic alone: Hidden motives, internal politics, and personal fears play a bigger role than you think. If you miss those, your deal stalls.

The best salespeople go deeper. They analyze buyer needs from every angle. There are seven dimensions that shape every decision. Get those right, and your deal moves forward.

Discover the 7 Buyer Dimensions that unlock more sales

Reason #7. Your Follow-Up Is Weak

Most sales aren’t lost in the pitch. They’re lost in the (lack of) follow-up.

Buyers get busy. They forget. If you’re not staying on their radar, someone else will.

How to fix it: Ditch the “Just checking in” emails. Follow up with value:

• A case study relevant to their industry

• A new insight about their problem

• A fresh idea they haven’t considered

Follow up until they either buy or tell you no.

Anything in between means they’re still considering it.

Wrap Up: Why You Keep Losing Sales (And How to Stop It)

If your deals keep slipping through your fingers, don’t just blame the buyer. The real reasons you lose sales are fixable. Identify what’s going wrong, adjust your approach, and start closing more deals.

Buyer Needs Analysis: The 7 Stakeholder Factors That Drive B2B Sales

Akash Karia — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 08:40:43 +0000

If you’re in complex B2B sales – whether selling a service, product, or idea – your deal isn’t won on the pitch. It’s won in how well you understand buyer needs before you ever open your mouth.

This in-depth article will teach you everything you need to know about buyer needs analysis so that you can close more deals. Let’s dive into it:

Key Takeaways

Stakeholders don’t buy features. They buy solutions to their biggest problems. Understanding their true objectives ensures you position your offer around what matters most to them.
Interest without urgency leads to stalled deals. If there’s no external or internal pressure to act now, the deal won’t move forward. You must identify and amplify urgency.
Objections are just the surface. Real resistance runs deeper. Internal politics, personal risk, and competing priorities can block a deal even if your solution is perfect.
Every stakeholder has hidden motivations. Some worry about reputation. Others need low-risk ways to test your offer before committing. Uncovering these personal drivers can help close the deal.
Not everyone you talk to has decision-making power. Understanding who influences the final call prevents wasted time and lost momentum.
If they haven’t said yes, something about your value is unclear. You need to bridge the gap between what they know and what they need to see in order to buy.
Confusion kills deals. If a stakeholder lacks clarity about your offer’s impact, they won’t move forward. The real issue isn’t resistance – it’s an education gap.

In the article below, we’ll break down the 7 dimensions of buyer needs analysis. When you analyze stakeholders from multiple angles, you uncover what truly drives their decisions.

# 1. Need Analysis: What Problem are They Actually Solving?

Stakeholders don’t buy features. They buy solutions to their biggest problems.

Your job is to understand buyer needs at a deeper level so you don’t pitch what you think matters but what actually drives their decision.

To conduct a strong buyer needs analysis, ask:

What revenue, engagement, or brand growth goals are they pursuing?
Are they struggling with audience engagement, content creation, or ad performance?
What are they currently using to solve this, and why isn’t it working?
What’s the gap between where they are now and where they want to be?

Here are the best sales qualification questions you can ask

#2. Urgency Analysis: Why Would They Act Now?

Interest without urgency = No deal.

Stakeholders need a reason to move now, not later.

Buyer urgency often comes from external forces – deadlines, competition, or shifting market conditions.

To analyze urgency, you need to consider:

Do they have upcoming product launches or seasonal campaigns where they need to win?
Are competitors outpacing them?
Are new trends (e.g., AI-generated content, short-form dominance) making their current approach outdated?

Action Step: Map out the external and internal forces driving urgency for your stakeholders. Quantify the risk of inaction.

#3. Resistance Mapping: What Objections or Concerns Might They Have?

Even when a solution is great, stakeholders hesitate.

Resistance isn’t just about objections – it’s about competing priorities, internal politics, and personal risks.

To map buyer resistance, analyze:

Financial Risks – Are they worried about ROI or budget constraints?
Reputational Risks – Do they fear looking bad if your service underperforms?
Operational Hurdles – Do they see implementation as too complex or resource-heavy?
Internal Politics – Are there conflicting agendas or power struggles within their team?
Competing Priorities – Are they focused on other initiatives that overshadow this?

Once you understand resistance, you can preemptively address concerns and remove friction from the decision-making process.

#4. Hidden Motives Analysis: What Are Their Personal Motives?

Stakeholders have personal motivations beyond business goals.

Uncovering these can be the difference between a closed deal and a stalled one.

Are they worried about advocating for your software because they lack experience using it?
Do they need a safe, low-risk way to test your product before committing budget?
Are they focused only on immediate revenue rather than long-term brand building?
Do they have false beliefs about your product – things they assume but aren’t actually true?

If you can address their unspoken concerns, you build trust and increase buy-in. And if you can share a personal story that helps them buy into your credibility, that helps even more.

#5. Power Analysis: Who Actually Makes the Decision?

Many sales teams waste time convincing the wrong person. True decision-making power often operates behind the scenes.

Ask yourself:

Is the person you’re speaking with a recommender, gatekeeper, or ultimate decision-maker?
Are there competing priorities higher up that might derail this?
Who needs to be convinced internally for this deal to happen?

A thorough stakeholder analysis ensures you’re engaging the right people, not just the most vocal ones.

#6. Value Gap Analysis: What’s the Blind Spot?

The potential buyer liking your service isn’t enough. They need to see it as essential.

If they haven’t said yes, something is missing in how they perceive its value.

Pinpoint the blind spot:

Industry Blind Spot – They don’t see how your product applies to their sector. Do they assume their audience isn’t there? Have they overlooked competitors successfully using your service? Are they missing relevant case studies?
Platform Blind Spot – They misunderstand how your service works. Do they think it’s just for Gen Z? Are they unaware of its targeting capabilities? Do they assume it’s purely for entertainment and not business impact?
Performance Blind Spot – They don’t see the measurable value. Are they unsure how your service drives ROI? Are they comparing it unfairly to channels with different metrics?

When you bridge the value gap, you eliminate buyer hesitation.

#7. Education Deficit Analysis: What’s Missing?

If a stakeholder lacks clarity, they won’t buy. The real issue isn’t resistance – it’s lack of understanding.

Ask:

What key insights are they missing that would change their perspective?
What false assumptions are creating hesitation?
What additional proof do they need?
What customer stories can help them understand the value of your solution?
What training would make them more confident in adopting your solution?

The more you educate, the faster you close deals.

Wrap Up

A buyer needs analysis isn’t just about identifying pain points. It’s about understanding stakeholders holistically – what drives them, what holds them back, and what will finally push them to act.

When you master these seven dimensions of buyer needs analysis, you start pitching your ideas with confidence.

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