Sherhara

You're not actually in the room. So how are you supposed to own it?

With more leaders working hybrid or fully virtual, the proximity bias is real.

You're not getting the same face time, but you still want to be memorable, build trust, and create real relationships.

Here's a simple method to carry into every Zoom call, every phone conversation, and every in-person moment too.

1️⃣ Experience: Connect back to a real, enjoyable experience before you show up.

2️⃣ Emotion: A good experience naturally evokes emotion, and emotion is what makes you feel real to people.

3️⃣ Energy: That emotion turns into the energy people feel through the screen, and energy is what facilitates connection.

Real recognizes real.

What people are recognizing on the other side of the camera is your energy, not your polish.

So before your next virtual meeting, stop searching for confidence.

Connect to a moment that brings you alive, and let that energy do the work of closing the proximity gap.

How are you showing up differently in your virtual meetings these days?

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments👇

Have you ever walked out of a meeting replaying everything you didn't say?

The moment you bit your tongue.

The split second you told yourself, "nah, I'll wait."

The conversation where you had something valuable to share but held back, then watched someone else say it instead.

It's easy to label that as a communication problem.

It isn't.

When you hesitate, when you hold back, when you feel like there was more you could've put on the table, it's because you weren't trusting yourself in that moment.

Something in you whispered that you didn't know enough, hadn't done enough, weren't ready enough, and you went quiet.

So the real question isn't "how do I become a better communicator?" It's "what doubt, insecurity, or mistake is getting in the way of me trusting myself?"

Because if you're missing the moments to share your perspective and not showing up the way you want to in conversations that matter most, the work isn't more polish or more preparation.

It's building the muscle of self-trust, so when the moment comes, you actually take it.

What gets in the way of you speaking up when it matters? Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇

How do you own a Zoom room when you're not actually in the room?

With more of us working virtually or hybrid, the proximity bias is real. You're not getting the face time, but you still want to be memorable and build trust.

Closing the proximity gap comes down to three things:

1️⃣ Connect back to a real, enjoyable experience

2️⃣ Let that experience evoke genuine emotion

3️⃣ Let that emotion become the energy people feel through the screen

Real recognizes real, and that energy is what makes you memorable, even virtually. Before your next call, stop searching for confidence and connect to a moment that brings you alive.

How are you closing the proximity gap in your virtual meetings? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇