From Contributor To Standout: Build Executive Presence Before Promotion
A survey commissioned by Sally Williamson & Associates found that 89% of senior executives surveyed confirm executive presence as a differentiator while 78% say a lack of executive presence holds people back from advancement.
Did you know you can develop an executive presence, even if you don't want to reach the C-suite?
Building an executive presence before you get the promotion may be the very thing that helps you earn it.
Here are five tips that you can use to cultivate executive presence right where you are, without faking authority or waiting for permission.
Speak with clarity, not just confidence.
People with executive presence aren't necessarily the loudest in the room, but they are the clearest. Whether presenting in a meeting or giving a project update, focus on clarity, structure, and purpose.
Avoid the temptation to overexplain. Executive presence often comes down to saying less with more impact. That means leading with key takeaways, using confident body language, and pausing intentionally.
Your goal isn't just to inform; it's to inspire. It's to help others think clearly and act decisively.
Pro Tip: Before your next meeting, distill your message into one sentence. This action will sharpen how you're perceived.
Show strategic thinking in everyday conversations.
You don't need to make boardroom decisions for people to see you as a strategic thinker. Start by connecting the dots between your work and the organization's bigger goals.
Pro Tip: Instead of just saying, "Here's what I did this week," you might say, "Here's how what I did this week supports our goal of improving customer retention."
This kind of framing helps your managers and peers see you as someone who understands the broader business and contributes to it thoughtfully.
Strategic presence isn't about being right; it's about being relevant. It's about being appropriate.
Manage your emotions like a leader, especially when things get tough.
Emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of executive presence. That doesn't mean hiding how you feel; it means being able to name your emotions, regulate them, and respond with intention instead of impulse.
If something frustrating happens (a project derails, someone takes credit for your idea, or a meeting goes awry), executive presence is evident in the response, not the reaction.
Pro Tip: Ask yourself, 'What would the leader I want to be known for do in this moment?' When others see that you can stay calm under pressure, they'll start to see you as someone who can lead through anything.
Own the room even when you're not leading it.
You don't need to have the floor to command attention. You build executive presence by showing up prepared, making thoughtful contributions, and actively listening to others.
Pro Tip: When you're in the room, whether virtually or in person, be fully there. Avoid multitasking. Look engaged. Bring curiosity. Ask a well-timed question that moves the conversation forward and focus on making others feel seen first.
If you are hesitant to attend on your own, ask a colleague to go with you. Attending events with someone you know makes it more enjoyable and may open the door to meeting new and interesting people.
Build influence through consistency, not control.
One myth about executive presence is that it's about taking charge. In reality, it's about creating trust. And trust comes from consistency.
That means doing what you say you'll do, delivering on time, and being someone people can rely on, not just when things are going well, but especially when they're not.
Pro Tip: Offer support without expecting recognition in return. The people who are remembered and respected aren't the ones who dominate the spotlight, but the ones who helps the whole team shine.
You don't need a title to lead.
Executive presence isn't about waiting to be promoted before you act like a leader. It's about developing the behaviors, mindset, and communication style that signals you are ready for higher leadership responsibilities now.
The truth is when you consistently show up with clarity, strategy, emotional intelligence, engagement, and trustworthiness, you become someone others want to follow long before your name appears on the org chart.
The next time someone tells you that you have "leadership potential," recognize that you already possess executive presence.
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Forbes
a few seconds ago
- Forbes
Takeaways From Berkshire Hathaway's Second Quarter 2025 Earnings
Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/A, BRK/B) reported second-quarter earnings of almost $12.4 billion, well below the $30.3 billion in the same quarter of 2024, primarily due to a decline in stocks. Operating earnings, which remove the distortion from market changes and better reflect the firm's earnings power, fell by 4% for the quarter versus 2024. Per-share operating income decreased by 4% for the quarter, with no share repurchases over the past year. Warren Buffett leads Berkshire as CEO and Chairman with Greg Abel, Vice Chairman of Non-insurance, and Ajit Jain, Vice Chairman of Insurance. Berkshire announced an impairment to its investment in Kraft Heinz (KHC). The investment had been carried on Berkshire's books for more than its market value for some time, but some changes in circumstances caused the firm to take a pretax impairment loss of around $5.0 billion. This writedown is a non-cash charge, which reduces the 'carrying value of our investment in Kraft Heinz to fair value.' Buffett has long acknowledged that he paid too much for Kraft Heinz, especially in light of the increased competition in the branded food category. Berkshire's most significant business by operating earnings is insurance, followed by the manufacturing, service, and retailing segment. Insurance underwriting was the primary culprit behind the decline in operating earnings. Buffett noted at the annual meeting that Berkshire's insurance earnings were as good as they get in 2024, so doing less well this year is unsurprising. Other income also declined significantly, primarily due to accounting for foreign currency swings. Excluding insurance and the 'other' segment, operating earnings were 13% higher. Insurance The two most essential concepts in insurance investing are 'float' and underwriting profit. In simple terms, float is created for insurance companies because insurance premiums are paid before any claims are made by the insured. Insurance companies can invest the float, sometimes for years, before insurance losses are reimbursed. Berkshire's float at $174 billion is $3 billion higher than on December 31, 2024. In general, the value of float increases as yields rise since an insurance company can earn more when investing the cash. Float per share was $120,983, above the level at the end of 2024. Share repurchases were not an aid to the growth of float per share over the past year. The underwriting profit comparison versus the second quarter of 2024 was challenging, as Berkshire had achieved stellar insurance earnings last year. Notably, policies in force at GEICO grew in the second quarter. Berkshire has a history, unlike many insurance companies, of earning an underwriting profit, meaning that their float costs nothing and makes money in addition to allowing Berkshire to earn a profit from investing the float. Berkshire has three main insurance businesses: GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group, and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group. All three had a profitable underwriting quarter. An underwriting profit means the insurance premium exceeds all insurance claims and expenses. For example, GEICO had a combined ratio of 83.5% in the second quarter, which means that only 83.5 cents of every dollar in insurance premiums were spent on losses and expenses. A combined ratio over 100% indicates the insurance company has an underwriting loss. For the second quarter of 2025, investment income was 1% higher than in 2024, primarily due to lower taxes. Notably, policies in force grew relative to the first quarter of 2024. Railroad Berkshire owns one of the largest railroads in North America, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad, which operates in the US and Canada. Railroad freight volume improved modestly, and operating earnings rose about 19% versus the same quarter last year. On a positive note, BNSF continued to see better productivity, which was the primary reason for the sharp rise in earnings. BNSF's trailing 12-month operating ratio, operating expenses divided by revenue, improved in the second quarter, which is proof of the productivity improvement. Buffett noted at the annual meeting that the 'railroad is not earning what it should,' but is' getting solved,' and the recent progress in reducing operating expenses supports his statement. Utilities and Energy BHE generally provides steady and growing earnings, as one would expect from what primarily consists of regulated utilities and pipeline companies. In addition, BHE typically produces significant tax credits due to its renewable electricity generation. For this reason, Berkshire focuses on after-tax earnings, which is 'how the energy businesses are managed and evaluated.' BHE was modestly negative on the headline numbers, with operating earnings falling by 2.6% over the same quarter in 2024. The lack of wildfire loss accruals in the second quarter of 2025 for the US utilities segment flattered the year-over-year comparisons. In the second quarter of 2024, BHE's US utilities group accrued $251 million for possible wildfire litigation losses. The decrease in earnings from the natural gas pipelines was primarily caused by higher interest expense, decreased margin, and lower other income. The other energy businesses saw a reduction in earnings, primarily from lower profits at Northern Powergrid. Manufacturing, Service and Retailing Pretax earnings rose by 4.7%. This segment consists of many diverse companies, so this analysis will focus on the best and worst performers and some themes when looking at this segment. Within the industrial segment, Marmon, 'which consists of more than 100 autonomous manufacturing and service businesses, internally aggregated into twelve groups, and includes equipment leasing for the rail, intermodal tank container and mobile crane industries,' saw a 6.9% increase in pretax earnings. The improvement was primarily due to 'reductions of liabilities accrued in connection with a prior business acquisition,' with operating results in the twelve groups mixed. Elsewhere in the manufacturing segment, the building and consumer products groups accounted for the decline in pretax income. Within building products, Clayton Homes had better revenues, but lower pretax income due to 'lower earnings from financial services.' Berkshire noted that their 'building products businesses are experiencing slowing customer demand and pricing pressures, attributable to prevailing general economic conditions and housing markets. The decline in consumer products earnings was primarily from Forest River, Garan, Jazwares, and Duracell. Brooks Sports and Fruit of the Loom had better earnings. The service group saw a 15.2% increase in pretax earnings for the quarter, primarily attributable to the aviation services, TTI, leasing businesses, and Charter Brokerage. The retailing group saw a turnaround in earnings growth, with a 11.9% increase in pretax earnings for the quarter. The most critical portion of the retailing segment is Berkshire Hathaway Automotive (BHA), which owns over 80 auto dealerships. BHA had 8% higher earnings compared to the second quarter of 2024. Pretax profits for the remainder of the retailing group rose by 23.9%, due primarily to 'higher earnings from Nebraska Furniture Mart and seasonality effects at See's Candies.' Pilot Travel Centers (PTC) is the largest operator of travel centers in North America, under the names Pilot and Flying J. On January 16, 2024, Berkshire acquired the final 20% and now owns 100% of the entity. PTC's pretax earnings decreased 40.2% due to 'lower gross sales margins and higher selling, general and administrative expenses.' McLane's pretax earnings were 23.9% higher thanks to 'an increase in the overall gross sales margin rate, partially offset by higher selling, general and administrative expenses.' Non-Controlled Businesses & Other This segment includes companies' profits that must be accounted for under the equity method due to the size of ownership and influence on management. The after-tax equity method earnings have Berkshire's proportionate share of profits attributable to its investments in Kraft Heinz (KHC), Occidental Petroleum (OXY), and Berkadia. Berkshire is Occidental Petroleum's largest shareholder, with a 28.1% stake. More about the reasons for the Occidental investment is here. The segment experienced a 97% decline in operating earnings for the quarter, primarily due to foreign currency exchange rate losses generated from bonds issued by Berkshire Hathaway and denominated in British Pounds, euros, and Japanese Yen. These foreign currency swings are not a concern as Berkshire has significant assets and earnings denominated in these foreign currencies. Investment gains from non-U.S. dollar investments generally offset some of these losses and vice versa, depending on currency exchange rates. Acquisition accounting expenses are also reflected in this segment. These expenses are created by amortizing intangible assets connected to companies purchased by Berkshire. Finally, the gain in other earnings includes 'Berkshire parent company investment income, corporate expenses, intercompany interest income on loans to operating subsidiaries when the related interest expense is included in earnings of the operating subsidiaries and unallocated income taxes.' Investment Portfolio Berkshire's insurance company investment portfolio is currently 52% publicly traded stocks, with 44% in cash. Berkshire was a net seller of $3 billion in publicly traded stocks in the first quarter, the eleventh straight quarter of Berkshire Hathaway's net sales of stocks. Berkshire bought $3.9 billion of stocks while selling $6.9 billion. The upcoming 13F filing on August 14 with the SEC will provide more specific buy and sell details, but some clues within the current filing point to more sales of Bank of America (BAC) and Apple (AAPL). Summary And Scorecard Berkshire's stock price outperformed the S&P 500 in the first quarter, falling by 8.8% versus a total return of +10.9% from the S&P 500. Year-to-date through August 1, Berkshire's price was +4.3%, while the S&P 500 had a total return of +6.9%. Short-term results are generally not meaningful for Berkshire since it is managed with a focus on increasing long-term value and not meeting quarterly hurdles. This ability to take advantage of time arbitrage has served the company and shareholders well over the years. The goal in looking at the results is to see if the segments are generally operating as expected and to consider Warren Buffett's capital allocation decisions. Previously, Buffett provided a handy blueprint for the goals of Berkshire's management. The first goal would be to 'increase operating earnings.' Secondly, success in the 'decrease shares outstanding' goal would boost operating earnings per share faster. Lastly, 'hope for an occasional big opportunity,' allowing for a sizable cash investment at an attractive expected return. This analysis will use Buffett's blueprint as a lens through which to evaluate how Berkshire is performing. Increase operating earnings: Trailing 12-month operating earnings were 8.0% higher than last year's same quarter. Buffett says that operating earnings are the 'most descriptive' way to view Berkshire since they remove the short-term volatility of market fluctuations in net earnings. Decrease shares outstanding: Particularly since 2018, a significant capital allocation decision has been made to increase share repurchases. When Berkshire Hathaway actively repurchases shares, it signals when Buffett believes its share price is below his intrinsic value estimate. If he is correct, the purchases are a value-creator for the remaining shareholders. Berkshire has stated that there would be no stock repurchases if it would cause cash levels to fall below $30 billion, so the firm's safety will not be compromised. Berkshire has not repurchased stock for the last five quarters. Until an announcement in mid-2018, Berkshire had only made repurchases when the stock traded at less than 1.2 times the price-to-book (P/B) ratio. While that constraint is now relaxed, it is still a good indicator of the general range when aggressive repurchases will likely be seen. Berkshire's price-to-book ratio remained elevated during the quarter, so share repurchases were suspended. Berkshire only intends to repurchase shares when the 'repurchase price is below Berkshire's intrinsic value, conservatively determined.' The price-to-book ratio remains a reasonable proxy for gauging Berkshire's intrinsic value. The stock repurchases in the first quarter of 2024 were likely done at around 1.4-1.5 times book value. Berkshire's stock reached almost 1.8 times book in May 2025, so a lack of repurchases in the quarter wasn't unexpected. With the recent decline in the shares, the valuation is nearing a level where repurchases might restart. Still, Warren Buffett's judgment about its intrinsic value versus other available uses of capital can differ from the simple price-to-book measure. A longer-term view of the positive impact of Berkshire's share repurchases is illuminating. Since the start of more aggressive share repurchases in 2018, Berkshire's operating earnings have grown at a 16.5% compound growth rate, while operating earnings per share have done 2.1 percentage points better at 18.6%. Eagle-eyed readers might notice that operating earnings growth oddly exceeded operating earnings per share growth over the last year. Berkshire issued some shares to purchase the remainder of Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE) in October 2024. Hope for an occasional big opportunity: Berkshire has a fortress balance sheet with cash and equivalents of over $339 billion. Cash as a percentage of Berkshire Hathaway's size is close to the highest on record, at 29.6%. This cash hoard provides flexibility to take advantage of opportunities, including repurchasing its stock if the price declines to attractive levels. Share repurchases had been off the table at the elevated valuations, but an additional lever for Buffett to create value might soon return. Shareholders should take comfort in knowing that the firm is well-positioned to withstand and emerge stronger from any tariff shocks, recession, or market downturn, thanks to its financial resilience, which enables it to capitalize on opportunities during a crisis. Buffett announced at the end of the annual meeting in May that he planned to step down from the CEO role at the end of the year. Greg Abel will assume the CEO role and have the 'final word on operations or capital deployment.' Notably, Buffett will remain Chairman to provide any needed guidance and intends to retain all his shares in the company. Some are attributing the relative weakness in Berkshire's share price to Buffett's announcement of leaving the CEO role, but the proximate cause likely lies elsewhere. Investors flocked to Berkshire stock as a haven when the odds of recession soared with the tariff threat. As the fear of recession receded, some investors re-allocated to other stocks, and Berkshire's valuation had become stretched in May. While Berkshire's quarterly operating earnings were down modestly year-over-year, there were some pleasant surprises in the data. Excluding insurance and the other segment, which is heavily impacted by foreign exchange volatility, operating profits grew 13% year-over-year. The BNSF railroad made significant progress in improving productivity to drive higher profits. The manufacturing, service, and retailing segment was surprisingly resilient with 12% year-over-year operating earnings growth. Lastly, one of Berkshire's crown jewels, GEICO, seems to be back in profitable growth mode with policies in force continuing to rise.
Forbes
2 minutes ago
- Forbes
Amazon Online Retail Sales Surged 11% In Second Quarter, Ahead Of Amazon Prime Day
Online shoppers came out in full force to power 11% growth in Amazon online store sales, its largest reporting segment, and its second-largest, third-party seller services, advanced 11% in the second quarter ended June 30, all before the big Amazon Prime Day four-day sales event. Amazon Prime delivery person in van sorting packages, Queens, New York. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Amazon total net revenues blew past estimates to reach $167.7 billion, up 13%, and net income rose 35% to $18.2 billion, yet investors were spooked by modest third-quarter earnings guidance and increased cloud and AI competition from Microsoft and Google, causing Amazon shares to slide 8% by week's end, according to CNBC. Amazon Web Services, its business-facing cloud segment, was the fastest-growing unit, up 17% to $30.9 billion, though growth slowed from 19% second quarter 2024 and lagged behind Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, both of which reported growth over 30% this year. On the consumer side of business, Amazon's online store exceeded Wall Street's $59 billion estimates to reach $61.5 billion and grew more than twice as fast as last year's second quarter when online stores advanced by 5%. Services to its over two million third-party marketplace sellers bettered expectations to reach $40.3 billion, though it grew at about the same pace as last year's second quarter. Advertising services, an important profit driver, reached $15.7 billion, up 23% over previous year, and subscription services grew 12% to $12.2 billion. Third quarter 2025 guidance is for net sales to reach between $174.0 billion and $179.5 billion, a 10% to 13% increase, though operating income is expected to range between $15.5 billion and $20.5 billion, compared to $17.4 billion last year. 'There continues to be a lot of noise about the impact that tariffs will have on retail prices and consumption. Much of it thus far has been wrong and misreported,' CEO Andy Jassy said during the earnings call. He added, 'Through the first half of the year, we haven't yet seen diminishing demand nor prices meaningfully appreciating.' Key Background Amazon's online retail sales increase bettered the industry's 6% non-store sales growth in the second quarter. Second-quarter performance is particularly noteworthy because it doesn't include revenues generated during this year's Prime Day event held July 8-11, 2025. By comparison, second- quarter online revenues this year came in a shade higher than the $61.4 billion generated during last year's third quarter when Prime Day was held. Amazon also reported that Prime membership signups during the three weeks before this year's Prime Day broke records, as did the number of items sold in advance. All of which bodes well for a significant increase over last year's third quarter online store revenues. The long-awaited return of Nike products to Amazon gave this quarter's online sales a boost. Also generating greater customer engagement was the launch of new luxury brands on the platform, including Aveda, Marc Jacobs fragrances, Aveda, Origins and Milk Makeup. In addition, the Saks on Amazon platform added Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Stella McCartney, Rosetta Getty, and La Prairie this quarter. The Amazon Essentials product line offering everyday low prices continues to gain new adherents and now represents one out of every three units sold. Amazon Pharmacy has advanced 50% year over year. In a new pilot Perishables service for customers ordering other items for same day delivery, it reported 'strong customer adoption' with 20% of customers returning multiple times in their first month. It is also leaning into faster delivery by expanding same-day and next-day delivery to millions of U.S. customers in 4,000 smaller cities, towns and rural communities by the end of 2025. What To Watch For Tariff's impact on Amazon retail prices remain to be seen, as Jassy said, 'It's impossible to know what will happen.' He gave no hint about how prices might be affected once Amazon's advanced inventory is depleted, nor did he reveal how the company or its third-party sellers would deal with prices as costs go up. However, he did state that no matter what happens, Amazon's prices are likely to be lower to consumers 'on the items they care about.' Further Reading Amazon's Gloomy Earnings Forecast Overshadows Better-Than-Expected Results (CNBC, 7/31/2025) Amazon Shares Fall Because Cloud Unit's Growth Wasn't Enough for Wall Street (WSJ, 7/31/2025) Forbes What Amazon Prime Day Sales Say About Upcoming Holiday Shopping Trends By Pamela N. Danziger Forbes Why Amazon's Move Into Rural America Won't Cut Walmart's Retail Lead By Pamela N. Danziger
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Alabama farmer sees new interest within days of Trump's tomato tariff — and says former trade deal ‘never worked' for US
With President Trump's latest tariff announcement, the price of tomatoes could soon be going up in the U.S. On July 14, the Trump Administration announced a 17% tariff on tomatoes imported from Mexico, ending a decades-long trade deal that kept the price of importing tomatoes down in the U.S. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it 'Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes,' said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in the press release. 'That ends today.' And while some Americans may not be in support of additional tariffs levied against America's international trade partners, several U.S. farmers stand in strong support of Trump's latest trade move. 'Been two days now and we've actually had a lot more calls' For decades, U.S. and Mexican tomato operations worked under a trade agreement that allowed for relatively easy importation of Mexican tomatoes into U.S. markets. The deal was meant to protect American tomato farmers, but many believe the old trade agreement didn't do enough. 'There's been loopholes that the Mexican tomato producers have taken advantage of and continue to price dump, or lower the prices below the cost of production here in the United States and in Alabama," Blake Thaxton, executive director of the Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, told WVTM 13 News. Chad Smith of Smith Tomato Farms in St. Clair County, Alabama echoed Thaxton's concerns with the old trade deal with Mexico. 'If they send the tomatoes over and it's supposed to be a set price and they need to move tomatoes, well, they may just give a load of bell peppers for free for them to take the tomatoes. So, it's never really worked,' said Smith. American tomato farmers had long felt as if they were hard-pressed to compete with the imports from Mexico, but several of them now see better times ahead with Trump's latest tariff news. 'It's only been two days now and we've actually had a lot more calls from people who have an interest in doing business," said Smith. 'And the price hasn't even changed.' As for Thaxton, he believes the potential of a sustainable future for U.S. tomato farmers is important. 'Food security is national security, and we need to be able to produce our own food here in the United States,' said Thaxton. Read more: Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can How the new tariff may affect your wallet While some American farmers are hopeful that the tomato tariff will impact their bottom line in a positive way, there's a concern that the changing policy will lead to higher prices at the grocery store. After all, the costs of producing tomatoes are higher in the U.S., thanks in part to American farms paying their workers up to 10 times more per hour than farm workers in Mexico. Thaxton believes the rising tomato costs won't be too dramatic, but other experts appear to be more concerned. In fact, some predict the new tomato tariff could push prices up by 10%. Since American farms face significantly higher production costs than Mexican growers — this includes wages, land, regulation, insurance, property taxes and equipment — these costs may be passed along to American consumers at the grocery store. At this moment, it's tough to predict the exact outcome that the tariff will have on the U.S. tomato market. While it looks like the tariff could help American farmers, it's unclear whether or not it will help American wallets. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 simple ways to grow rich with real estate if you don't want to play landlord. And you can even start with as little as $10 Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
