Authenticity: Bradford acting coach Matt Zina on leadership impact

Bradford acting coach Matt Zina has spent more than 20 years studying what makes people believable under pressure. After appearing in British television dramas including Heartbeat, A Touch of Frost and Emmerdale, he moved into coaching and talent representation, helping actors prepare for the demands of auditions, casting rooms and professional sets.

Matt is the founder and managing director of Matt Zina Acting and the creator of the Trinity Acting Method. He also runs the Spotlight-approved Matt Zina Agency and works with business leaders through YSA Performing in Business. His techniques now extend beyond the screen, helping senior professionals communicate clearly, present confidently and remain credible during high-stakes meetings.

In this exclusive interview with the London Keynote Speakers Agency, Matt explains why authenticity carries more weight than polished delivery, what executives can learn from actors and why leaders can no longer afford to ignore personal branding and social media.

Question 1. What separates a speaker who merely delivers information from one who genuinely commands a room?

Matt Zina: “Authenticity is everything. It means being able to stumble over your words, laugh about it and carry on. Most people would be too scared to do that, but it shows authenticity. Authenticity over perfection.

“Communication has changed, and we need to work harder at being authentic because it creates a deeper connection with the person we are addressing. If people sense that authenticity, they lean in.

“The purpose of speaking or presenting is to create change. People need to have an emotional experience before they will change anything or take something meaningful away from a presentation.

“One of the things I constantly say in my acting classes is, “Emotions drive actions.” You have to make people feel something first.

“Stanislavski was one of the earliest figures to study truthful, realistic acting techniques. He recognised that when performers genuinely inhabited their characters, audiences had a much stronger emotional response.

“That principle applies to public speaking. Authenticity creates an emotional connection, and that connection makes it far more likely that people will act on what they have heard.”

Question 2. What can senior business leaders learn from actors about presence, influence and communicating on camera?

Matt Zina: “Actors are business leaders. As an agent, I constantly tell actors, “You are a business.” Those who understand that tend to do well because they connect with people, market themselves and maintain a presence on social media.

“Some actors and business leaders still see themselves as separate from personal branding and social media. They may even consider themselves above it. Yet social media is currently one of the biggest sources of influence.

“Marketing has always involved going to where your customers are. It used to mean visiting a town square and handing out pieces of paper. Today, people are online. Businesses must use social media to reach customers and influence change.

“I feel for CEOs, directors and senior leaders because many reached their positions using a very different skill set. Speaking to a camera and creating content may be completely new to them.

“When people begin making social media content, they can easily over-project or make the mistakes common among inexperienced presenters. These skills take time and commitment to develop.

“Actors already have an advantage because they are comfortable around cameras. Presenting to camera is a routine part of auditioning. Every audition requires a slate, where an actor might say, “Hi, I’m Matt Zina. I’m 42. I’m from Bradford.” They become accustomed to speaking directly to a lens.

“People outside the acting industry may need to learn an entirely new set of skills. Once you become a personal brand, you must create content and remain visible.

“The skills I teach actors are transferable. My book, The Trinity Acting Method, teaches actors how to give the most authentic performance possible. When I coach someone to present on camera or deliver a talk, I am teaching the same principle.

“Authenticity encourages people to lean in, lower their guard and feel an emotional response. Emotions drive actions, and those actions can create the change the speaker wants to achieve.”

Question 3. Why has a leader’s personal reputation become as important as the company name behind them?

Matt Zina: “For decades, people focused on major corporate brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Those companies carefully created positive images through their colours, advertising and photography, but the ways in which they could communicate were limited.

“Social media has changed how people consume content. Attention has shifted from the corporate brand towards the person leading it. Elon Musk, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson are examples of chief executives who became the public faces of their companies.

“The same principle applies to smaller businesses. A florist may realise that the strongest part of the business is the person behind it. People have always wanted to buy from people because it creates trust, relationships and reassurance.

“The development of personal branding has taken commerce full circle. In Victorian times, someone looking for a new jacket might visit a town square, meet the tailor, examine their work and decide whether they trusted them.

“Large companies once had to rely on carefully controlled brand images because customers could not communicate directly with their leaders. Today, chief executives and founders can speak to customers through live broadcasts and interviews, which can be clipped and shared instantly.

“Customers increasingly want to see the person behind the company. That is why personal branding has become so important.

“Companies embracing personal branding are achieving significant success. For chief executives and marketing directors who have never expected to become public figures, this requires a new set of skills. They need to learn that authenticity is their best friend.”

This exclusive interview with Matt Zina was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.