[Client Story] Natacha Nowak - Beyond Grammar: The One Thing That Separates Hesitant from Heard

[Masterclass]3 EQ Voices: What Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Sound Like in English

Episode summary She had the highest technical score in the promotion panel. She prepared for weeks. Her English was grammatically flawless. And she still did not get the role.   The feedback from the decision-makers? She did not read the room. Something felt off.   What they were describing was an EQ gap. And nobody in her L&D program had taught her that emotional intelligence has a sound.   In this masterclass, Leonilda introduces the 3 Voices of EQ: the three places where emotional intelligence either shows up or disappears when a francophone leader speaks English under pressure. This is the conversation most leadership programs are not having and the one that changes everything.   WHAT YOU WILL LEARN •       Why technically perfect English is not enough in high-stakes leadership moments •       The 3 Voices of EQ: word choice, register, and silence and how they sound in practice •       The most common EQ mistakes francophone leaders make in English-speaking boardrooms •       A micro-drill to start building your high EQ language this week   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Timestamps 0:00–1:00 The promotion panel scenario and why perfect English was not enough 1:00–2:00 The provocation: EQ has a sound. Most L&D programs are not teaching it. 2:00–3:30 Voice 1: Word Choice — what you say under pressure 3:30–5:30 Voice 2: Register — direct vs. diplomatic, and how to read the room 5:30–7:00 Voice 3: Silence — why the pause is your most powerful leadership tool 7:00–8:30 Client story: Claire, two passed-over promotions, and one global town hall 8:30–10:00 Your next step — and how to book your Speaking Audit [https://leonildarenaldo-speakingaudit.youcanbook.me] Explore the crucial role of emotional intelligence in leadership and effective communication, especially in high-stakes situations. Learn practical tips to enhance your EQ voice and read the room better. Keywords Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Communication, English for Leaders, EQ Voice, Reading the Room, High-Stakes Conversations, Influence, Inspire, Professional Development Practical tips to improve EQ communication skills Reading the room and influencing effectively "High EQ buys you time and builds trust." "Fill the space to sound smart, or connect?" "Your EQ can be made audible." Further Reading: Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves - https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/0974320625 [https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/0974320625] Reading the Room: How to Understand What People Are Really Thinking - https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Room-Understand-What-People/dp/XYZ [https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Room-Understand-What-People/dp/XYZ] Join the newsletter to be informed on the latest: https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/newsletter-sign-up [https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/newsletter-sign-up] Website - https://www.leonildarenaldo.com [https://www.leodynamics.com/en/] LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/leonildarenaldo [https://linkedin.com/in/leonildarenaldo]

[MasterClass] Friend or Foe? 10 Faux-Amis Killing Your Credibility in the Global Workplace

You have prepared. You know your subject. You walk into the room with conviction.   Then you use one word — one familiar, comfortable, perfectly French word — and the room shifts. Not visibly. Not dramatically. But something slips.   That slip has a name: faux-ami. False friend. And in this episode, we are going to find it, name it, and take away its power.   What You Will Learn in This Episode •       Why faux-amis exist — and why the answer goes back 1,000 years •       The real cost of faux-amis in leadership settings: credibility, trust, and pipeline •       10 high-stakes false friends that francophone professionals use every day •       Specific examples from the boardroom, the HR office, and the client call •       A three-part strategy to replace the wrong reflex with the right one — permanently   The History Behind the Trap In 1066, the Normans conquered England — and French became the language of power for nearly 300 years. The law, the court, commerce, governance: all conducted in French.   Over time, English absorbed thousands of French words. But the meanings drifted. The spellings stayed. The traps were set.   Linguist Bernard Cerquiglini — one of France's foremost language authorities — argued that English is, in many ways, French that has been living abroad long enough to forget where it came from. His work gives us the intellectual framework for understanding why faux-amis are not vocabulary errors. They are history living inside language.   Even the word budget comes from bougette — a small French leather pouch carried by the treasury. Every board presentation built around a budget is, unknowingly, built around a French purse. This episode covers some "faux amis": •       Actually •       Eventually •       Sensible •       Demand •       Assist •       Pretend •       Agenda (meeting items) or hidden objective And more Your Free Resource — The 14-Day Leadership Drill The 14-Day Leadership Drill gives you one precision language habit per day, built specifically for francophone professionals operating in English at leadership level. Five minutes a day. Fourteen days. Free.   → Download your free 14-Day Leadership Drill [https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/14-day-drill] About Your Host Leonilda is a Leadership Development Coach for non-native English speakers — helping HR professionals, L&D managers, and executives communicate with precision, presence, and authority in global environments.   TEDx speaker. Featured in Marie Claire. Seen on BSmart and Yahoo Finance. Creator of Boardroom English® — tailored for professionals ready to lead in English.   Connect With Leonilda •       LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo] •       Website [https://www.leodynamics.com] •       Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/]

[Snack] I'm Back. And Here's the Real Reason Why

After two months of silence, Leonilda Renaldo returns with the real reason she went quiet — not the polished version, the honest one. Eight years ago she had a dream: to speak at a TEDx event about the most powerful leadership tool she knows. Not artificial intelligence. Authentic intelligence — the ability to show up fully, without performing, without shrinking, in any room, in any language. This month, that dream became real. In this episode Leonilda shares what those eight years taught her, what the TEDx stage confirmed, and why every French-speaking professional trying to close the gap between who they are in French and who they show up as in English is doing their own version of the same journey. This is not a language problem. It is a leadership competence. And it can be built. ---------------------------------------- YOUR ONE ACTION FROM THIS EPISODE Think of one moment this week where you held back in English — where you said the shorter, safer version of what you really meant. Say the full version out loud today. That gap is your work. This season, we close it together. ---------------------------------------- FREE RESOURCE Download the 14-Day English Leadership Drill [https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/14-day-drill-lead-magnet]— free, 5 minutes a day, built around the leadership scenarios where that gap costs you the most. ---------------------------------------- WORK WITH LEONILDA Ready to go further? Book your free 15-minute discovery call: https://leonildarenaldo-befluentaudit.youcanbook.me/ [https://leonildarenaldo-befluentaudit.youcanbook.me/] ---------------------------------------- ABOUT LEONILDA RENALDO Communication coach · TEDx Speaker · Founder of Leo Dynamics · Host of The BE Fluent Podcast · Featured in Marie Claire, BSmart and Yahoo Finance · leodynamics.com [http://leodynamics.com] ---------------------------------------- CONNECT Website: leodynamics.com [http://leodynamics.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/ [https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/] ---------------------------------------- Keywords: English leadership communication, speak English with confidence, French-speaking professionals, authentic communication at work, English for non-native leaders, executive presence in English, business English coaching, English coaching Switzerland, English coaching France, TEDx speaker, BE Fluent podcast, Leonilda Renaldo, Leo Dynamics #BeFluent #EnglishLeadership #CommunicationCoaching #FrenchSpeakingProfessionals #LeadInEnglish #AuthenticCommunication #ExecutivePresence #ThoughtLeadership #PersonalBrand #TEDxSpeaker

[MasterClass] Don't Get an "A" in English, Get Four of Them

Don't just get an A in English. Get four. If you've ever held back in a meeting, stumbled over your words on a call, or felt like your ideas weren't landing the way they should — this episode is for you. It's not about being perfect. It's about being purposeful. Leonilda Renaldo is breaking down the exact framework she uses with aspiring leaders to transform the way they show up in English. No more memorising random vocabulary. No more hoping you'll "get better." This is strategic. This is intentional. And it works. 🔑 The Four A's in LeoDynamic's Boardroom English® Method: ASSESS — Stop guessing. Get clear on who you need to communicate with, what you need to say, and why. Are you trying to inspire? Inform? Influence? That answer changes everything. ANCHOR — Small actions become habits. Habits become behaviours. Behaviours become your personality. We're talking micro-actions that stack up and make impactful English communication automatic. ADJUST — Communication isn't a monologue. It's a dance. "It takes two to tango," and in this episode Leonilda breaks down exactly how to flex, adapt, and flow with whoever is in front of you. ACQUIRE — This is where it all clicks. You stop imitating. You stop hiding. You embrace your imperfections and step into the kind of autonomy that makes you unstoppable. 💬 The line you need to hear: "You're not aiming to hide your imperfections. You're embracing them and heading towards excellence." 📌 Also in this episode: • Why English should be a tool, not an objective: Tune into this client story episode [https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/the-b-e-fluent-show/id1835423263?i=1000745879698] • How to ask for clarity without sounding lost [https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/the-b-e-fluent-show/id1835423263?i=1000723576393] • Everything you need to know about The Booster — the 5-week intensive starting March 3rd [https://boardroomenglish-booster.youcanbook.me/] 🔗 Connect with Leonilda: [Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo]] [Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/]] [WEBSITE [https://www.leodynamics.com/en/]] Your homework: 1. Rate and review this episode or show 2. Subscribe to the show so you don't miss any of our episodes 3. Sign up to our newsletter for events [https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/newsletter-sign-up] If this episode resonated, share it with someone who's been holding back. They need to hear this. #LeadershipCommunication #EnglishForLeaders #AuthenticLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #EnglishBooster #ExecutivePresence #PersonalBranding

[Client Story] Natacha Nowak - Beyond Grammar: The One Thing That Separates Hesitant from Heard

DESCRIPTION Breaking Barriers: How One Environmental Expert Transformed Fear into Professional Flow When Natacha Nowak needed to advocate for sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector, perfect grammar wasn't her problem—being heard was. In this episode, discover how she shifted from hesitant speaker to confident communicator by focusing on the one element most language learners miss: strategic communication skills that build personal brand authority. Whether you're in sustainability, tech, finance, or any field where English opens doors, Natacha's journey reveals why fluency isn't about perfection—it's about presence, clarity, and the confidence to share your expertise with the world. What you'll learn: * The mindset shift from "correct English" to "compelling English" * How to position your expertise even when English isn't your first language * Why personal branding accelerates both language skills and career growth Are you ready to be more strategic in your communication in the global workplace? Sign up to our bi-weekly newsletter for updates on events, courses, podcast episodes: https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/newsletter-sign-up [https://leodynamics.newzenler.com/f/newsletter-sign-up] KEYWORDS Keywords: English for professionals, career acceleration, personal branding, professional communication, executive presence, language confidence, thought leadership, professional development, strategic communication #ProfessionalEnglish #CareerGrowth #PersonalBranding #ExecutivePresence #ProfessionalDevelopment #LanguageConfidence #ThoughtLeadership BOOSTER PROGRAM Join the March 2026 Booster Program – A transformative 4-Week journey for professionals ready to use English as their competitive advantage. Build the communication skills and personal brand that position you as a leader in your field. Information here or send us an email lrenaldo@leodynamics.com [lrenaldo@leodynamics.com] Pour plus d'information sur le Booster, c'est par ici --> en français https://www.leodynamics.com/english-booster-with-leonilda [https://www.leodynamics.com/english-booster-with-leonilda] Connect with Leonilda Renaldo on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo [http://linkedin.com/in/lrenaldo] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/ [https://www.instagram.com/leonildarenaldo/] Email: lrenaldo@leodynamics.com Website: https://www.leodynamics.com [https://www.leodynamics.com] Book an appointment and get a speaking audit FREE: https://leonildarenaldo-be-app.youcanbook.me/ [https://leonildarenaldo-be-app.youcanbook.me/]