How Executives Can Sound Authentic in Interviews — Avoiding Media Glibness and Communicating with Credibility | Dale Carnegie Tokyo

Many executives default to “media interview mode” the moment they see a microphone.
This mode emphasizes:

• Short sound bites

• Avoiding risk

• Withholding details

• Defensive messaging

• Scripted corporate lines

These behaviors protect leaders from “gotcha journalism,” but they produce a stiff, unnatural, and unrelatable delivery.
The result: the audience doesn’t trust you—even if you avoided mistakes.

Mini-summary: Media defensiveness protects you from risk but destroys authenticity.

During high-pressure interviews, leaders juggle multiple fears:

• “Will they twist my words?”

• “Will they cut and splice the audio?”

• “Will this be used against me?”

• “How can I avoid trouble?”

This creates speaking patterns that feel robotic and evasive.

Mini-summary: Fear of manipulation causes speakers to abandon natural conversation.

Experienced journalists know that once the interviewee relaxes, offhand comments slip out.
That’s why the microphone still rolls after:

“Thank you — that’s the end of the interview.”

This is the moment many reputations have been damaged.

Mini-summary: Assume the recorder is running until you physically leave the room.

In the podcast example, the business titan started stiff and overly scripted.
But once he realized the interview was not a hostile media encounter, everything transformed:

• Tone shifted from corporate to human

• Answers became longer, richer, more insightful

• Credibility increased

• Engagement improved

The difference between “fake self” and “real self” was unmistakable.

Mini-summary: Authenticity emerges only when leaders drop media armor and start conversing.

Executives must master the balance:

• Clear but not glib

• Concise but not shallow

• Articulate but not pretentious

• Relaxed but not careless

This requires situational awareness:
What type of interview is this—and what does the audience expect?

In Japanese companies  and multinational corporations, this is a core skill taught in leadership and presentation.

Mini-summary: Adapt tone and style to the interview type, not to generic media reflexes.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson often uses rare, academic vocabulary to humorous effect.
He gets away with it because:

• He signals awareness (“look it up”)

• He uses humor to soften elitism

• His persona is built around eccentric intelligence

But for most leaders, using unnecessarily complex words triggers suspicion or irritation.

Mini-summary: Overly learned language can alienate audiences unless used strategically.

Great communication is simple, clear, human, and valuable.

Executives should aim to:

• Speak naturally, not mechanically

• Explain complex ideas simply

• Avoid corporate jargon

• Add genuine insight rather than PR rhetoric

• Connect emotionally with listeners

Authenticity is not saying everything—it is saying the right things honestly and clearly.

Mini-summary: Simplicity and authenticity are the hallmarks of modern executive communication.

• Media defensiveness kills authenticity and trust.

• Offhand remarks after interviews can be the most dangerous.

• Real value appears when leaders relax and speak like human beings.

• Avoid sounding too slick, too clever, or too corporate.

• The best communicators make complex ideas simple and relatable.

Request a Free Consultation to strengthen your executive communication, media readiness, and authentic leadership presence with Dale Carnegie Tokyo.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.