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# Justin Patton: Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker, Leadership Presence Expert

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://www.justinpatton.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Sample Credibility Statements Leaders Can Use to Build Trust](https://www.justinpatton.com/sample-credibility-statements-leaders-can-use-to-build-trust/): If you are a new people leader, here is the weird truth nobody warns you about. You can be great at your job and still struggle as a manager. The job is not being the smartest person in the room anymore. It is supporting the smartest people. Helping them work together. Keeping the mission clear. Creating results through relationships. That requires a different skill set, especially when the moment gets uncomfortable.
- [Why Is Communication Important in Leadership?](https://www.justinpatton.com/why-is-communication-important-in-leadership/): There has been no shortage of advice written about communication in leadership. Most leaders have heard the foundational guidance: listen actively, watch your body language, demonstrate empathy, be authentic. Those skills matter, but they tend to focus on communication when things are calm. And calm moments don’t define leadership.
- [How to Lead with Emotional Intelligence](https://www.justinpatton.com/how-to-lead-with-emotional-intelligence/): Leaders who lack emotional intelligence aren’t bad people. They’re just emotionally disconnected. They might call it professionalism, but it’s really self-protection.
- [What Is Leadership Presence?](https://www.justinpatton.com/what-is-leadership-presence/): But there’s a difference between having presence and having leadership presence. Everyone has presence. It’s the energy you bring into every interaction. Leadership presence, on the other hand, is the conscious choice to use that energy to earn other people's confidence and trust.
- [How to Build Trust as a New Leader](https://www.justinpatton.com/how-to-build-trust-as-a-new-leader/): When you step into leadership, your technical skills matter, but they’re not what make people follow you. How to build trust as a new leader begins with your presence. You can’t outsmart your way into trust. You have to earn it through how you show up.
- [The Best $50 Halloween Costume](https://www.justinpatton.com/the-best-50-halloween-costume/): I bought 10 Halloween costumes this year.Not for a party. Not for a video shoot.For my mom.
- [Turning a Mistake into Momentum: The Story Behind Managers Who Build Trust](https://www.justinpatton.com/the-story-behind-managers-who-build-trust/): Then, I got the legal letter:Cease and desist.I was shocked. Frustrated. Embarrassed is an understatement. But moments like this reveal how leaders build trust, not by avoiding the setback, but by choosing the response that aligns with leadership and trust.Don’t fight it. Fix it.We pulled the old title, reimagined the experience, and published a full-color edition with better visuals, deeper insights, and a brand-new Trust Audit™, all designed to strengthen leadership development, and help managers improve leadership presence in every interaction. Today, I’m proud to introduce myself.Managers Who Build Trust: Your Playbook for Bringing Out the Best in Others.
- [How to Be Transparent Without Oversharing at Work](https://www.justinpatton.com/how-to-be-transparent-without-oversharing-at-work/): During a virtual keynote with Northbridge Financial Corporation, someone asked a really insightful question:
- [How to Start a Difficult Conversation Without Making It Worse](https://www.justinpatton.com/how-to-start-a-difficult-conversation-without-making-it-worse/): During a recent keynote, someone asked me, “What’s your #1 tip for engaging in difficult conversations?”
- [Trust Lives Below the Surface](https://www.justinpatton.com/trust-lives-below-the-surface/): Ashley reminded us that when we let people see who we really are, we reveal the importance of developing trust in leadership, trust that comes from honesty, not perfection. After sharing her story, the energy in the room shifted. People approached her, thanked her, connected with her in new ways. 
- [You Need to Be Bored](https://www.justinpatton.com/you-need-to-be-bored/): You need to be bored.
- [Why Your Best Friend at Work Might Matter More Than Your Boss](https://www.justinpatton.com/why-your-best-friend-at-work-might-matter-more-than-your-boss/): Because work isn’t just about what you do. It’s about who you do it with.
- [One Glimpse Can Cost You Everything](https://www.justinpatton.com/one-glimpse-can-cost-you-everything/): Every single day, people catch glimpses of us. 
- [What a Hospital Visit Taught Me About Trust & Great Customer Experiences](https://www.justinpatton.com/what-a-hospital-visit-taught-me-about-trust-great-customer-experiences/): I’m 45. It was time. Colonoscopy. (Not exactly a bucket list item.)
- [Trust Doesn’t Get an Off Day: What Leaders Can Learn from Recent Business Mistakes](https://www.justinpatton.com/trust-doesnt-get-an-off-day-what-leaders-can-learn-from-recent-business-mistakes/): Trust doesn’t just happen, it’s built. And in today’s organizations, leadership and trust in the workplace are shaped every single day by how leaders communicate, treat people, navigate tough decisions, and how they protect their credibility as a leader. Building a culture of trust in the workplace requires transparency, tact, and togetherness.
- [6 Actions on Servant Leadership](https://www.justinpatton.com/6-actions-on-servant-leadership/): At its core, the servant leadership meaning is simple: a people-first mindset. This servant leadership style is about taking care of the people in your care and standing up for them on the issues that matter most.  
- [Your Ultimate Guide to Building Trust in Teams](https://www.justinpatton.com/building-trust-in-teams/): Every day is a lesson in building trust in teams. My earliest memory of trust came when I was seven years old. I was riding my bicycle barefooted around the neighborhood when my toe got caught in the spokes. I remember lying on the ground, bloody and crying, then my dad came to scoop me up and take me home. He sat me down on the sink counter and consoled me as he fixed my toe. 
- [HEY MANAGERS – HERE IS WHAT EVERY EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU RIGHT NOW!](https://www.justinpatton.com/hey-managers-here-is-what-every-employee-needs-to-hear-from-you-right-now/): The coronavirus has transformed many organizations into a virtual workforce.
- [40 Lessons in 40 Years](https://www.justinpatton.com/40-lessons-in-40-years/): I turn 40 years old at 11:11 am today. It has been one hell of a ride filled with extreme lows and highs – just as everything meaningful is. Here are 40 leadership lessons I have learned in 40 years about life, death, love, heartbreak, and success.
- [6 Steps to Helping Shape Mentally Resilient Athletes](https://www.justinpatton.com/resilient-athletes/): TEACHING ATHLETES TO
SUCCEED ON THE FIELD AND IN LIFE! 1 - HELP ATHLETES DISCOVER THEIR AUTHENTIC SELF The more aware we are about our
authentic self, the more we are able to hold ourselves accountable, recognize
when we step out of that version of ourselves, and stop putting our worth in
external factors. Help your athletes discover their core values and who they
are when they’re at their best. Provide coaching, feedback, and recognition around
this.   2 - BE AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT WARRIOR FOR ATHLETES Each of us needs an emotional
support system and people whose presence makes it safe enough for us to open up
and tell the truth. When we don’t have that, we keep our feelings to ourselves,
we experience shame, and often behave in unhealthy ways. If you want to get the
best out of your players then mentally push them on the field and emotionally
support them off of it. 3 - VALIDATE FEELINGS BEFORE TRYING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS “I imagine you’re so hurt because
you worked harder than you’ve ever worked, you felt like you were finally
ready, and you are disappointed that it didn’t work out the way you wanted it
to.” Validating someone’s feelings does not mean you agree with them. It is
giving them permission to feel what they feel so you build stronger trust and
connection. When this happens, you put your athletes in a stronger place to
hear you. Remember: empathy first, information second. 4 - TEACH ATHLETES TO REFRAME THEIR EXPERIENCES It can often feel like the world
is caving in on you when you’re in the middle of a difficult situation. It
often takes someone else to help us realize every experience is an opportunity
to learn about ourselves and others. Teaching athletes how to reframe
their experiences (once they are no longer emotionally hijacked) helps athletes
see that mistakes are for learning. It also teaches them that failure is not a
permanent condition. Ask athletes, “What does this experience teach you about
yourself, the game, relationships, life?” or “How will you choose to be better
because of this?” 5 - EMPOWER ATHLETES TO TAKE FORWARD ACTION We want athletes who do not stay a
victim to their circumstance, but who reflect and then rise up stronger and
take decisive action. When athletes focus on what they can control they feel
more empowered and they step back into their personal power. Coaches can ask, “What
action(s) do you need or want to take for your own emotional healing and
growth?” or “What action could you take to start getting back to your best
self?” 6 - CREATE THE SPACE TO PRACTICE MENTAL TOUGHNESS Resiliency can be taught, but it
is developed through experience and practice. Give your athletes difficult (if not
impossible) drills to achieve. Watch how they respond. Have them analyze how
they’re feeling, the impact of those feelings, and what informed decision they
want to make next. You will teach your athletes that they are not responsible
for the discomfort they find themselves in, but they are responsible for how they
react in that discomfort. Additionally, you teach them to form habits that will
serve them better in life. Download Your Copy Today! 6 Steps to Helping Shape Mentally Resilient AthletesDownload
- [New Book Release: Unleashing Potential](https://www.justinpatton.com/unleashingpotential/): What you believe, or don't believe, about yourself becomes the filter for how you show up in the world, how you make decisions, and how you treat yourself and others. 
- [8 Ways To Build Interpersonal Relationships](https://www.justinpatton.com/8-ways-to-build-interpersonal-relationships/): I was a first-year high school English teacher when the department chair and I sat down to discuss how things were going. During our conversation, she encouraged me to give the students 30 minutes of independent reading time during my class. I was conflicted. I felt if I wasn’t “teaching” then I wasn’t doing my job. She asked me if I valued the importance of reading. I, of course, said yes. What she said next has stuck with me the rest of my life. She looked right at me and said,
- [One Undeniable Truth On Confidence](https://www.justinpatton.com/one-undeniable-truth-on-confidence/): Confidence is having the courage to show up as yourself and for yourself – even when that choice feels risky, uncomfortable, or even scary. Confidence does not require you to have it all together or to be the loudest person in the room. It does, however, require you to master a deep level of self-awareness and self-acceptance.
- [6 STEPS TO COMMUNICATING WITH TOXIC PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY](https://www.justinpatton.com/6-steps-to-communicating-with-toxic-people-effectively/): You probably have that person at work who you feel is toxic. You feel they repeatedly suck the life-force out of you and you would rather walk on hot coals than have a conversation with them.
- [5 Secrets No One Told You on How to be an Influencer at Work](https://www.justinpatton.com/creating-value-and-influence-at-work/): Your influence is directly tied to the amount of value you bring to the organization. If you want to play bigger and lead better than you must be intentional about being an influencer at work.
- [How to Show Empathy at Work](https://www.justinpatton.com/how-to-show-empathy-at-work/): I could hear the fear and anxiety in my friend’s voice and I knew that the next thing I said could either make it worse or help relieve his burden. He could be glad he called me or wishing he’d dialed someone else.
- [Waking Up The Sleepwalkers In Your Organization](https://www.justinpatton.com/waking-sleepwalkers-organization/): The point: it is imperative that your organization hold everyone accountable for HOW they get results, NOT just the results themselves. When leadership only holds individuals accountable for results, they reward bad behavior and slowly cultivate an army of sleepwalkers throughout all levels of the organization.  
- [3 Actions That Will Radically Transform Every Customer Service Experience](https://www.justinpatton.com/3-actions-will-radically-transform-every-customer-service-experience/): They have empowering leaders at all levels of the organization who ensure the guest experience is accurate, easy, and personalized.
- [6 Dangerous Actions That Cause Leaders to Lose Their Voice](https://www.justinpatton.com/6-dangerous-actions-cause-leaders-lose-voice/): I believe you cannot be a great leader of others until you first become a great leader of yourself. Therefore, you have no greater obligation than to find your authentic voice. When you find your voice, you find your confidence. When you find your confidence, you dream bigger, act bolder, and you stop putting up with shit that you shouldn't. You aren't afraid to have the conversations you need to have - even when they are uncomfortable. You speak up and share your truth - even when it is not popular. You stop searching for the voice you want and you celebrate the one you already have.
- [Do You Look Like a Leader?](https://www.justinpatton.com/look-like-leader/): According to research from the Center for Talent Innovation, your executive presence is based on three factors:
- [LEADING WITH A “TIME IN” VS “TIME OUT” MINDSET](https://www.justinpatton.com/leading-time-vs-time-mindset/): I define “time out” as the act of isolating one’s self or someone else to avoid having a conversation about behavior, the feelings involved, and what needs to change to move the relationship forward.
- [Why You Should Forgive Your Parents](https://www.justinpatton.com/why-you-should-forgive-your-parents/): We grow up expecting our parents to be whole, put-together, and authentic. The truth is, often times, they are still discovering themselves and trying to make peace with the baggage of their past. As a result, they sometimes disappoint us. They break our expectations. They do not love us or themselves the way we need them to.
- [Are You Leading or Rowing the Boat?](https://www.justinpatton.com/leading-rowing-boat/): Great leaders know there is a time to lead the boat and row the boat. They understand you cannot do both at the same time because you navigate on the level of your perspective. 
- [5 Steps to Making Your Presence Count](https://www.justinpatton.com/5-steps-making-presence-count/): I had the opportunity to speak to 900 women leaders in Chicago last week on the importance of body language in leadership. The core message was. .  .
- [STOP Trying to “Fix” People](https://www.justinpatton.com/stop-trying-fix-people/): Oprah Winfrey’s quote remind us that our job is not to always have the answers or to fix people. People don’t need fixing! They need to be seen, heard, and given the freedom to fix themselves. Our desire to “fix” people, often times, has more to do with our need to validate ourselves than with helping the other person.
- [4 Steps Parents Should Teach Their Kids About Authenticity](https://www.justinpatton.com/4-steps-parents-teach-kids-authenticity/): I define authenticity as “the truth of who you are.” Every day offers you the chance to share the story of who you are through the way you talk, walk, and interact with others. It takes courage and a whole lot of self-love to unapologetically share your truth with the world because you are accepting both the rewards and consequences that come with that choice.
- [Your Interpretation of the Truth Can Hold You Back](https://www.justinpatton.com/interpretation-truth-can-hold-back/): Engaging in and resolving difficult conversations is a necessary skill for any great leader and successful relationship. A lot of research has been done on helping individuals navigate these conversations more effectively but we need to help leaders understand why they happen in the first place. Understanding WHY can help you know HOW to engage in these conversations better.
- [Do Not Rot Among the Waiting](https://www.justinpatton.com/not-rot-among-waiting/): An important aspect to leadership is having the courage to create a bold vision, taking intentional daily steps towards that vision, and recalibrating along the way.
- [What You Allow, You Encourage](https://www.justinpatton.com/what-you-allow-you-encourage/): Boundaries signal to people what you will allow and not allow in your life. They are a permission slip for how people can treat you, and these boundaries ultimately shape the dynamic of every relationship in your life.
- [Don’t Let Your Intensity Hold You Back](https://www.justinpatton.com/dont-let-intensity-hold-back/): I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Melissa Lora, Taco Bell’s President of International business, and ask her: “What is one of the biggest factors that holds leaders back?” Her perspective was insightful and it will empower all of us to do better in how we lead and communicate.
- [Don’t Drown Quietly](https://www.justinpatton.com/dont-drown-quietly/): John Hulsey, an Operations Consultant for Taco Bell, was talking to a room full of restaurant general managers and offered them one piece of advice that resonated with everyone in the room.
- [Stop Trying to “Own the Room” and “Own Your Energy”](https://www.justinpatton.com/own-your-energy/): We've all heard it before. A high-potential associate or new manager receives advice on how to show up with stronger confidence and presence and then they're told that classic line, "Walk in and own the room!"
- [3 Big Mistakes Leaders Make When Speaking](https://www.justinpatton.com/3-big-mistakes-leaders-make-speaking/): Have you ever had that moment where you are in the audience watching a leader deliver a presentation and you just couldn’t wait for it to be over? People are glancing at their watches, some are giving that awkward eye-roll to their friends, and you dare anyone to ask a question when it’s all over. We’ve all been there!
- [3 Actions that Transform Leaders Into Coaches](https://www.justinpatton.com/3-actions-that-transform-leaders-into-coaches/): Everyone is a leader, but not every leader is a coach. Like many of you, I have worked with leaders who led out of fear, who micromanaged, and whose ego made it miserable for everyone else in the office. But I’ve also worked for leaders who were coaches, too. Their presence challenged me to do better, be better. Those are the individuals you and I look back on and admire.
- [What Breakups Teach Us About Ourselves](https://www.justinpatton.com/what-breakups-teach-us-about-ourselves/): A week ago I lost my best friend, the person who made each day brighter, and who taught me how to love better. The person who had danced their way into my life, who I talked with about marriage and raising kids, decided he needed to step off the dancefloor so he could find himself.
- [3 Levels of Listening Every Leader Should Know](https://www.justinpatton.com/3-levels-of-listening-every-leader-should-know/): Oprah Winfrey once said, “Every single person you will ever meet shares a common desire. They want to know: Do you see me? Do you hear me? Does what I say mean anything to you?”
- [18 Ways to Show Employees You Care](https://www.justinpatton.com/18-ways-to-show-employees-you-care/): What leadership behavior is impacting your credibility as a leader and influencing employee engagement the most?
- [13 Questions That Will Disrupt Your Life…for the BETTER](https://www.justinpatton.com/disrupt_your_life/): How willing are you to disrupt your life so you can achieve the goals you say you want?
- [People’s Reaction Has Nothing To Do With You!](https://www.justinpatton.com/reactions/): How do you respond when you are cut off by another driver on the road? What goes through your head when you experience bad service at a restaurant?
- [Cultivating Empathy](https://www.justinpatton.com/empathy/): When you have been hurt a lot in your life you do whatever you can to cope and survive. For many people that means shutting off emotionally and moving forward.

## Pages
- [Leadership Presence Download](https://www.justinpatton.com/leadership-presence-download/): Maximize Your Leadership Presence
- [About](https://www.justinpatton.com/about/): Award-Winning Author, Executive Coach, and The Trust Architect™
- [Workshops](https://www.justinpatton.com/workshops/): Leadership Workshops
- [Keynote Speaking](https://www.justinpatton.com/keynote-speaking/): Engaging, high-impact keynote speaker programs help leaders build trust in leadership and strengthen communication in the workplace.
- [Home](https://www.justinpatton.com/): TRUST Keynote Speaker & Author
- [Social Proof](https://www.justinpatton.com/social-proof/): Empowering people to
- [Bold New You Resources](https://www.justinpatton.com/bold-new-you-resources/): Download free Books Resources
- [Thank You for Reaching Out!](https://www.justinpatton.com/thank-you-contact/): Your Message was Sent
- [Thank You](https://www.justinpatton.com/recognition-thank-you/): PERSONALIZED RECOGNITION FORM
- [Recognition](https://www.justinpatton.com/recognition/): Personalized Recognition Form
- [Books](https://www.justinpatton.com/books/): Leadership Books
- [Speaker Kit](https://www.justinpatton.com/speakerkit/): For Meeting Planners
- [Contact](https://www.justinpatton.com/contact/): Contact Justin
- [Experiences](https://www.justinpatton.com/the-experience/): Experiences
- [Coaching](https://www.justinpatton.com/coaching/): Leadership Coaching
- [Blog](https://www.justinpatton.com/blog/): This has been autogenerated as a placeholder for blog.