Welcome to Above the Line
The most effective leaders are almost always brilliant communicators - it’s impossible to inspire people if you can't connect with them.
Hello, and welcome to Above the Line (ATL). I’m delighted that you’ve chosen to sign up and as one of my original subscribers, I’m grateful for your support.
There’s a popular saying that goes something along the lines of communication is usually the problem and almost always the solution. I believe this to be true, and also believe that if we can all become a little bit better at communicating, the world will become a little bit better too.
Throughout my 20 years working in corporate communications, I’ve seen the transformative effect that augmenting your communication skills can have on performance, relationships, reputation and more.
Communication skills are a core competency for everyone, but access to communication training is often reserved for those already in senior leadership positions. This is the gap that ATL will address.
It will also look at communication more holistically, exploring the power of words and the magic of language.
“Communication works for those who work at it.”
This quote by the brilliant film score composer John Powell, whose work includes the Bourne series, Happy Feet and How to Train Your Dragon, beautifully expresses the intention behind ATL. To help your communication work better.
What’s in it for you?
ATL will primarily consist of succinct weekly emails where I’ll share information, thoughts and a practical tip or exercise that you can implement immediately. In a world of overwhelming amounts of content, I’m conscious of creating more and am deeply respectful of your willingness to let me into your inbox.
Sometimes I’ll write a longer piece on a more esoteric aspect of communication, to inspire a new perspective or encourage you to think differently.
For those who want more, I’ll be hosting masterclasses and potentially in-person events, and will provide responses to your questions in the community discussion section of each post.
I also offer 1:1 communications training for paid ‘founding members’ of this community or for those who would like it as an extra.
Topics will be varied and broad, given communication is relevant to every aspect of life. You can read more about ATL here.
More about me
Currently based in Europe, I’m an Aussie who’s passionate about the power of storytelling and helping people communicate their value.
Today marks two years since I left my corporate role in Australia to start my own consultancy.
The experience I’ve gained in that two years includes: media training corporate leaders in Australia and Europe; taking more than 300 people through communications training (privately and with Andrea Clarke from The New IQ in her EdTech business, Future Fit); ghost-writing part of a book and many, many media releases; copy-writing more than I could have imagined; and facilitating adaptive leadership sessions for a group of miners in Chile with a live translator on the Zoom (hit me up for tips if you ever need to prepare for a live translation call - there’s a lot to take in!).
Over the preceding 15+ years I worked in corporate communications roles across not-for-profits, government and ASX-listed organisations, managing high-performance teams and advising leaders on communications strategy for complex public projects and corporate initiatives.
I’m also a former professional athlete, having represented Australia in water polo and played professionally in Europe for three years. I learned a lot about effective communication during my time in sport!
What do you want to work on?
I’m really looking forward to getting to know you – please feel free to introduce yourself in the comments section below and let me know the number one communication skill you’d love to work on this year.
Improving our communication skills improves almost every aspect of our lives. It leads to better relationships, better work outcomes, and a lot more fulfilment and inner peace. I’m excited to share more.
You’ll see me in your inbox next week with our first official edition of ATL.
Thank you for being here,
Larissa
THANK YOU for your endless support and encouragement!
Exciting stuff Larissa! And so important. My number 1 communication skill for this year is to position myself for success (aka asking for what I want).