SPOTLIGHT: How to Communicate with Confidence and Authority
How to Communicate with Confidence and Authority
Sharpening your communication skills to make sure your voice is heard loud and clear
SEMINAR BRIEF
Being a School Business Leader means having a seat at the table, but being heard takes more than just showing up. This session will help you build your confidence, strengthen your communication skills and project the authority needed to make an impact. Whether it’s in meetings, tough conversations, or influencing decisions, you’ll learn practical techniques to boost your presence, get your points across and leave a lasting impression.
IN THIS SEMINAR WE EXPLORE
• Techniques for speaking with confidence and projecting authority in meetings.
• How to simplify complex ideas and communicate them clearly and persuasively.
• Strategies for building relationships, navigating tricky dynamics, and making your voice heard.
• Tips for using body language and tone to reinforce your message.
• How to prepare for and handle difficult conversations with confidence.
TAKE HOME POINTS
• Practical tips for speaking with confidence and authority in any setting.
• How to break down complex ideas into clear, persuasive messages.
• Strategies for handling tricky dynamics and asserting yourself when it counts.
• Advice on using body language and tone to reinforce your message.
• Tips on building relationships and winning people over with your communication style.
THIS SESSION IS FOR SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADERS WHO
Want to feel more confident and impactful when they speak. If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t taken seriously or struggled to get your point across, this session will give you the skills to stand out and own the room.
Jonny Coates and Vikki Dea
About the speakers:
Jonny is head of business & financial support services at Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, a group of 38 schools in Teesside, North Yorkshire and York, and has been working in the education sector since 2010. To date, he has completed CSBM, IOSH Managing Safely, L7 CIPFA Financial and Operational Leadership and Management qualification. Since 2010, he has worked in two maintained primaries and two maintained secondaries and as COO of a MAT in Durham. Jonny was appointed as a Trustee of ISBL in 2021 and serves as Vice Chair of Trustees.
Vikki Dea is the Trust Business Services Lead at NPCAT, where she supports operational excellence across schools with a focus on procurement, process standardisation, and staff development. After 15 successful years in retail management, Vikki pivoted her career by completing AAT Level 3 and entering school finance in 2020. Over the last 5 years rapidly progressing—earning promotion to Trust Business Manager within nine months, managing two Secondary schools and then taking on a Regional role. The last two years she has been Trust Business Manager at the Trust’s largest Secondary School & Sixth Form in Teesside. Today, she plays a key role in coaching business managers and enhancing the commercial efficiency of schools. Vikki’s greatest professional achievement is her bold and successful transition into a new sector, where she continues to thrive and lead impactful change.