How to Stand Out on Any Panel

Even the best leaders struggle with panels.

Like last month. I attended a tech conference where a CEO coaching client of mine was on the panel.

What happened? The same as on too many panels. The moderator let people ramble, the other panelists repeated boilerplate answers and everyone agreed with each other.

True, it’s a tricky format. You have no control, no slides, no second take. But it’s a huge opportunity if you know what to do.

Here’s a simple framework I give my clients and use myself to show up sharp:

P.A.N.E.L.

P – Position Yourself with Purpose

What’s the one thing you want to be known for? Lead with that.

Have a hard-hitting intro and your atomic statements ready – sticky soundbites that are packed with meaning.

A – Audience First

Really think about who they are and why they are there. Solve their problems.

Avoid generic answers. I call them “website statements” because I would have found the same information on the panelist’s website.

N – Narrative-Driven

Don't make points. Answer questions with a story.

Tell not just what you think, but what you did and what you learned.

E – Engage the Room

Look at the audience and speak with them, not at them.

Get them involved. Ask a show-of-hands question.

L – Link Back or Level Up

Build on what others say – or challenge it with grace. Friction isn’t rude. It’s how ideas move forward.

Audiences hate bores and know-it-alls but love panelists who solve their problems and give them new insights.

Steal my P.A.N.E.L. framework to become a panel pro (you can find a one-page cheat cheat here).

ON THE SHOW

How to Build an Emotionally Intelligent Team

I do a weekly show to help you become a top 1% communicator. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or Youtube.

What drives team performance?

It’s not individual brilliance, personality tests, or hiring “the perfect team.” The science is in and it’s clear: It’s emotional intelligence – at the team level.

I’m joined by Dr. Vanessa Druskat, organizational psychologist, long-time collaborator of Daniel Goleman, and author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team – one of the most important leadership books of the year.

We unpack why focusing on individuals is no longer enough, how to embed emotional intelligence into your team’s daily habits, the 3 essential norms that separate average teams from extraordinary ones, and how to measure and improve your team’s EQ, starting now.

Vanessa offers a science-backed, deeply practical framework to create high-performing, human-centered teams – even in high-pressure, fast-changing environments.

Watch the episode here:

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

The Real Reason Everything Feels so Hard

I’ve always despised bureaucracy – not just because it’s slow or annoying, but because it kills the very things leaders want: initiative, innovation, and accountability. That’s partly why I left the corporate world.

The newly updated Humanocracy makes this point louder than ever.

Hamel and Zanini argue for something radically simple: if you want human brilliance, you need human-centric organizations. Not systems built around rules, titles, and approvals, but around creativity, experimentation, and ownership.

Here are the three insights that hit me hardest:

1. Tech can’t fix a bureaucratic system

Productivity is flat in many places. The problem isn’t the tech – it’s that we’re plugging it into rigid processes, slow decisions, and leadership bottlenecks. If you add AI to shitty systems, you get AI-powered shitty systems.

2. The real leadership question has flipped

Instead of “How do we get people to serve the system?”, the better question is: “What kind of system unleashes people?” In an AI era, human potential depends entirely on the environment we build.

3. Experimentation must be celebrated, not frowned upon

Resilience and innovation come from embedded experimentation, not occasional pilots or “innovation labs.” Teams need permission to test, tinker, break things, and learn quickly, not wait for approvals.

What experiment will you try next?

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver