BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: PRESENCE IN A PINCH 207 learn to play on a bigger stage. Be a visionary by cultivating an aspi- rational vision that's personal to you, and share it actively. Dare to divulge opinions, bold stories, or a controversial stance on an issue. When you have to present, contemplate how to be different rather than one of the pack. Having a presence with a bit of shock value can be a good strategy. Ready to Bring Your Best Self At the beginning of this book, I discussed how much interest executive presence generates in companies today. Yet paradoxically, it's difficult for the average professional to focus on it. Presence does seem personal, nebulous, and hard to execute. My hope is that I've taken some squishy concepts and helped them to take shape for you. I want you to be excited about your own ability to affect your presence in a way that will make your goals imminently achievable. In fact, it's not all that hard. It just takes focus. Use the questionnaire in Figure 13-2 as a "practice sheet" for focusing on your own I-Presence.