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The Strategy Skills Podcast: Strategy | Leadership | Critical Thinking | Problem-SolvingAuthor: FirmsConsulting.com & StrategyTraining.com
CEOs and business leaders, management consulting senior partners, ground-breaking professors, thought-provoking writers and journalists, record-setting athletes and coaches, and award-winning actors and celebrities discuss the key issues facing the business world and broader society. Get free access to our newsletter, Monday Morning at 8 am, along with sample episodes from our training programs on www.strategytraining.com. Go to https://www.firmsconsulting.com/promo. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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693: How to Build Powerful Professional Relationships That Advance Your Career with Gina London, CEO of Language of Leadership, Ltd.
Monday, 2 November, 2026
Gina London, former CNN correspondent and leadership communications advisor, and CEO of Language of Leadership, Ltd., joins the conversation to explore how professionals can build meaningful relationships, advance their careers, and develop greater executive presence. Drawing on her transition from journalism to corporate communications and leadership coaching, Gina explains why relationships are essential to career advancement. Her own journey was shaped by referrals, persistence, and making opportunities visible. As she puts it, "If you don't, there is a guarantee that you won't." She also emphasizes that success depends on more than hard work, acknowledging the roles of timing, environment, and luck. Gina shares a practical approach to networking, particularly through LinkedIn. She recommends starting with genuine engagement, keeping initial messages brief, and building relationships gradually before requesting a conversation. Her advice is to begin with a 10-minute virtual coffee, listen carefully, ask for one piece of advice, and consider requesting an introduction. The objective is to build trust rather than approach relationships transactionally. As she explains, "Relationships are conversations." The discussion also examines how AI can support networking and communication by helping prepare outreach messages, research relevant topics, and organize ideas. However, Gina stresses that technology should support, not replace, human connection. Messages must still reflect the individual's personality, judgment, and understanding of the person receiving them. Turning to executive presence, Gina explains that communication is a skill that can be deliberately developed. Through her approach to intentional communication, she explores how voice, word choice, structure, facial expression, and body language influence how messages are received. Her philosophy is captured in the title of her book, Amplify You: "It's not about becoming someone else, but it's about becoming a more intentional design version of you." For professionals communicating in a second language, Gina introduces her isolate and integrate approach: practicing difficult words individually before incorporating them naturally into speech. The goal is greater clarity and understanding, not eliminating one's accent. The conversation offers practical lessons on building professional relationships, making career ambitions visible, using AI thoughtfully, and developing communication skills through consistent practice. Get Gina's new book, Amplify You, here: https://tinyurl.com/5n93ytw6 Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2 Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions Free gift #3 Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom Free gift #4 Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1 www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build Free gift #5 The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach Free gift #6 Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift
