Presence Under Pressure: How Leaders Create Visibility That Holds
- Written By: Melanie Borden
- October 4, 2025
Reclaim your presence: 3 mental switches for steady visibility
MAKE THE CONNECTION
Most leaders don’t lose visibility because they lack ideas—they lose it in the two minutes before action. That’s where hesitation, self-editing, and imagined scrutiny take over. Theatre of the Mind teaches that presence isn’t a personality trait; it’s a trainable state. When you can regulate that “moment before,” you publish faster, pitch cleaner, and show up in rooms (and on LinkedIn) with grounded authority.
This week, we’re working the mental muscles behind executive presence. Not louder. Not flashier. Just steadier—so your signal is consistent whether you’re posting, presenting, or pushing a deal across the line. Use the three switches below to turn anxiety into action and polish into proof.
Presence isn’t luck; it’s a routine. Start with these three steps.
1
The Spotlight Reframe. Your brain says, “Everyone’s watching me.” Replace it with, “I’m watching the value.” Write one line that states the value in plain language, then ship. Presence rises when attention shifts from self to service.
2
The 90-Second State Set. Before you post or present:
• Exhale-led breathing (4 rounds).
• Drop shoulders, plant feet, name your intent in 7 words.
• Choose one proof (metric, client outcome) and insert it.
You’re not calming down—you’re setting the state you want to
3
The 5–1–1 Visibility Loop. After publishing:
• 5 comments on ICP posts (signal you’re in the room).
• 1 direct value DM to a warm contact (apply your idea).
• 1 calendarable next step (invite, link, or ask).
Consistency builds presence more than any single “viral” moment.
Because building real influence is vulnerable. You’re not just “posting.” You’re leading. And leaders get tired, too.
—From Theatre of The Mind
Ask Yourself This:
If presence is a state I can set, what would change this month if I won the two minutes before every action?
With Gratitude,
Melanie Borden
P.S. Every week in my Executive Visibility Brief on LinkedIn, I share real-time strategies for showing up as the answer.
