Rethinking Executive Presence: Authentic Leadership in a Changing World – Katherine Lazaruk

Is “executive presence” still about polished suits and boardroom bravado—or has the definition evolved?

In this episode of Behind The Numbers With Dave Bookbinder, we’re unpacking the future of leadership with Katherine Lazaruk, founder of Lazaruk Consulting and author of Executive Being: Humanizing Business One Leader at a Time.

Katherine is on a mission to redefine what it means to lead in today’s workplace—one that demands authenticity, adaptability, and a more human approach to business. Together, we explore why “bringing your whole self to work” is more than a catchphrase, how leaders can show up with credibility and vulnerability, and why outdated norms around appearance and behavior no longer serve the modern professional.

We also discuss:

• How toxic positivity undermines trust and performance

• What generational shifts mean for leadership expectations

• The balance between authenticity and professionalism

• Why the old playbook for executive presence is due for a rewrite

Whether you're leading a team, advising clients, or looking to evolve your own leadership style, this episode offers a fresh perspective on what it really means to show up—and stand out.

About Katherine Lazaruk

Katherine Lazaruk is a professional presence expert who helps leaders and their teams walk the walk, talk the talk and look the part. She is passionate about achieving gender parity in her lifetime and through her coaching, consulting, and speaking, she works with women and champions of women to get more women into senior leadership faster. Recognizing that we are currently in a shifting paradigm, she works within the system to change the system for teams and individuals alike to create a kinder, gentler, and more effective world.

Katherine holds degrees in Voice Performance and Education, holds her second level international designation of Certified Image Professional (CIP) with the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) and her Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation with the International Coach Federation (ICF). She has also been Vice-Chair of the Women’s Leadership Council Advisory Committee with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and served for six years as the Secretary of the AICI Canada Chapter Board. She has been a member of the nominations committee for the YWCA Vancouver Women of Distinction Awards and volunteered with two of their programs for women, sharing her expertise on professional presence and currently serves on the Global DEI Committee for AICI. She is the author of "Executive Being: Humanizing Business One Leader at a Time.”

About the Host:

Dave Bookbinder is known as an expert in business valuation and he is the person that business owners and entrepreneurs reach out to when they need to know what their most important assets are worth. Known as a collaborative adviser, Dave has served thousands of client companies of all sizes and industries. 

 

Dave is the author of two #1 best-selling books about the impact of human capital (PEOPLE!) on the valuation of a business enterprise called The NEW ROI: Return On Individuals & The NEW ROI: Going Behind The Numbers. 

He’s on a mission to change the conversation about how the accounting world recognizes the value of people’s contributions to a business enterprise, and to quantify what every CEO on the planet claims: “Our people are