How do you present to leaders?

Welcome to my blog! I'm currently working for my FullStack Bootcamp in Flatiron, but I have plenty of of experience in the design, development, and implementation of IT solutions, especially in the IT operations domain.
One of the things that inspires me most is how to effectively communicate, especially with those that have the power to influence not only your career but your personal development as well.
Pretty sure there are hundreds of scientific papers with sophisticated algorithms about this topic, but I'd like to stick with this from my experience and the experience of many of the leaders I have worked with/for.
I think the most important aspects are to establish the purpose of the presentation, describe the problem being addressed, and compose the recommendation.
"Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them." Aristotle

The purpose of the presentation

Be clear with what you want to get out of the presentation and how the leaders can help you. Why are those leaders here? and What do you expect from them? Is this FYI and no action required? For example an educational presentation, giving a heads=up for a future request, and/or seeking feedback.

Provide the context of the problem

If asking leaders to take action, be as crisp as possible: clear, complete, concise, and convincing. Describe from the perspective of who matters the most, the customer? what are they pain points.
After describing the problem from the customer perspective, consider covering the problems employees and the business are facing.

Describe the recommended solution

Make sure your solution addresses each pain point or gap described. Also try to apply this solution to a wider range of problems, without deprioritizing the original problem(s). Also be prepared to some common leader questions, like: if we were successful, could it be big and have a reasonable return on investment? for projects requiring investment, Do we have competence in that area or can we get it quickly?
For the technical aspect, it's best to show how the solution addresses functional and non-functional requirements (security, privacy, availability, latency, throughput, reliability, scalability, costs, and operability).
Also you may need to show the important parts of a solution architecture like interfaces, data, and algorithms, and how the solution leverages best practices like reuse, separation of concerns, and simplification.
It's also helpful to show the alternatives that were considered, and the rationale for the selection with a simple list of pros and cons.
The ideas I've seen are best sold are those that earn the trust of the leadership by presenting them as a good or the best recommendation. Be crisp, walk them through your thought process, and lead them to the same conclusion you have reached.
And make sure you learn from the process and grow out of your box!

Summary

• Start with the purpose
• Describe the problem
• Articulate the recommendation