Welcome to The Adapter’s Advantage: Breakthrough Moments that Lead to Success.

In episode 40, executive coach, speaker, and author Rob Salafia shares his journey from street performer to business leader, the importance of transferable skills, his insights into connecting with an audience, and the power of storytelling.

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With leaders who understand how to energize a group and empower a group, the energy stays in the room when they leave—people feel connected. And that’s where the magic lies.

Rob Salafia, CEO and Founder of Protagonist Consulting Group, is an executive coach, keynote speaker, author, and program facilitator. He is an authority on executive presence and transformative learning experiences.

For the first half of his career, Rob was a performing artist, traveling the globe, delivering his unique, one-person variety show. He is an accomplished tap dancer, rope and wire walker, and storyteller. He now takes his finely honed stage and audience connection skills to business leaders to help them enhance their presence, connect authentically with others, and create momentum behind their ideas.

Rob also is a lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, an MIT Leadership Center master executive coach, and the author of Leading from Your Best Self: Develop Your Executive Poise, Presence and Influence to Maximize Your Potential.

Listen as Rob discusses how he applies his performance skills to corporate situations, helping business leaders energize and empower their teams and create environments where team members collaborate and grow.

Episode 40: Becoming Your Best Self | Rob Salafia

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From This Episode

Host Mark Magnacca: “What is the most important skill people need to learn or improve today?”

Rob Salafia: “It’s really important to be fully present. Give people your eyes and be fully present with them.

“The next one is to see the best in others. If you can recognize and develop talent, that sense of collaboration and partnership will come out. And also as a leader, creating a conducive and safe environment, an environment of psychological safety. And you do that through your presence, through your openness.

“I was on a coaching call this morning with a woman who’s just breaking through in this area, and she said her team feels they’ve made a jump from feeling fearful of contributing and sharing their voice to feeling free to share their voice. And she said instead of having these isolated individuals, they’re pulling together and taking ownership of their collective experience and they’re starting to work on it together.

“There’s a difference between charisma and really strong authentic presence. The charismatic leader is the one who comes into a meeting with the team, and everybody’s energized. But when they leave the room, all of the energy leaves with them.

“But with leaders who understand how to energize a group and empower a group, the energy stays in the room when they leave—people feel connected. And that’s where the magic lies.”

About The Adapter’s Advantage

Our podcast features leaders from sales, training, and industry who share their personal journeys of transformation and how they are adapting to an ever-changing environment. As your host, I’ll introduce you to some of the most interesting and inspiring people I’ve met over the last twenty years.

The conversations dive into the ups and downs of their journey. Our guests focus on inflection points—the aha moments that, in retrospect, had a critical impact on their success. These interviews will leave you with practical, real-world advice that you can apply to your life.

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