Book excerpt: Lead with charisma and confidence. Many leaders consider "executive presence" a make-or-break factor in high-powered promotions. But what is this elusive quality, and how do you develop it? This book explains how to build the charisma, confidence, and decisiveness that top leaders project. Whether you're delivering a critical presentation or managing a hectic meeting, you'll be inspired to approach the situation with new strength. This volume includes the work of: Deborah Tannen Amy J. C. Cuddy Amy Jen Su This collection of articles includes "Deconstructing Executive Presence," by John Beeson; "How New Managers Can Send the Right Leadership Signals," by Amy Jen Su; "To Sound Like a Leader, Think About What You Say, and How and When You Say It," by Rebecca Shambaugh; "Connect, Then Lead," by Amy J. C. Cuddy, Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger; "The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why," by Deborah Tannen; and "Too Much Charisma Can Make Leaders Look Less Effective," by Jasmine Vergauwe, Bart Wille, Joeri Hofmans, Robert B. Kaiser, and Filip De Fruyt. HOW TO BE HUMAN AT WORK. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.