How can you leverage your strengths and personality to create a unique and authentic executive presence?

Leveraging strengths and personality for an authentic executive presence is akin to composing a symphony that resonates with your unique melody. Picture a leader discovering the instruments in their ensemble—the strengths and personality traits that set them apart. I guide them through introspection, helping uncover the richness of their character. Just as a conductor harmonizes diverse sounds, the leader learns to blend their strengths seamlessly. It's not about conformity but about orchestrating a distinct tune. This authentic presence, like a captivating melody, captivates audiences and inspires trust. As Oscar Wilde wisely said, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Embracing authenticity defines executive presence.

Assessments can be used and can often be great but buyer beware. Assessments are only as good as the debrief of the results and how they are used and applied in real life. It’s the application that is crucial. I would also advise incorporating real people and real time feedback from trusted people in your inner circle to let you know if you are moving the needle in the areas you have deemed important. Getting real time reflection and feedback can help the transformation of one’s self.

DISC, Myers-Briggs and Strengths Finders are excellent starting points for self-discovery. One way to get even better at self-assessment is to dive deeper into the principles these tools are based on. When we do, believe it or not, over time we can assess ourselves and others without using these tools. For example, both DISC and Myers-Briggs are deeply rooted in the ancient method of putting our natural, inborn tendencies on scales. For DISC it's Thinking-Feeling vs Sensing-Intuiting. For Myers-Brings, two additional scales are added: Introversion -Extroversion and Judging-Perceiving. With a little practice, we can figure out where we fall on these scales most of the time.

Executive presence is all about authenticity. Self-knowledge is the first step. Tools like DISC or MBTI are a great starting point that provide an impartial description of oneself. Equally important for executive presence, however, is to not only embrace one's strengths, but also one's (perceived) weaknesses. By accepting our aspects that we tend to disapprove of instead of viewing them as obstacles that we need to overcome or change, we can learn to work with them and turn them into strengths as well. That is authenticity.

Articulating your value is key:- Its not just about you but what do you bring on the table for others. What is the problem that you solve. This comes from a deep sense of purpose Ask yourself these 5Why & 1How questions 1. Why do I do what I do ? 2. What shift do I want to create? 3. For Whom ? 4. Where do I see myself going? My Goals 5. Which are my strengths that I can leverage? 6. How am I going to achieve my purpose? Goals - whats the action plan and the process You can add more questions, the idea is it needs to feed your purpose and that's when you can truly articulate your value.

Defining your purpose as well as your legacy are critical and foundational components for change. Understanding “why” you want to do something is equally as important “what’s” possible when you achieve it. Being able to visualize your end goal can be an incredible motivator. I recommend asking trusted people in your life what they believe you stand for in life and what your characteristics are as a starting place to understanding who you are and how you show you up. This will help you in defining your purpose.

Once you have more clarity about who you are and what your strengths are, you'll also better understand what drives you. For some, this may be a concrete goal like being able to buy an expensive car, for others it may be to fight a great injustice in the world. Thinking about what makes you feel happy and accomplished, and about what infuriates you, will help you understand your deeper 'why' and what impact you want to have. This then can be used as a beacon to guide you in your leadership.

Executive presence or simply presence will always be challenged by your current situations and circumstances. Challenge yourself and your ability to be present often as this is the way to develop resilience and inner strength and confidence. Said another way, do the work and then push yourself outside your comfort zone.

Empathic people may go overboard when adapting their presence to different situations. The art is in finding the right balance: being flexible within the boundaries of one's authenticity, being adaptable without being a pushover, being resilient without being rigid.

One’s presence is equal parts what’s you do and say as well as what you don’t. Non verbal cues can be more powerful than spoken words. Again, practice getting feedback from others as well record yourself on camera speaking when possible to catch the non verbals that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Communicating with clarity and impact again boils down to authenticity. That said, there are certain expectations leaders are supposed to conform to, in terms of body, vocal and verbal language. Trying to meet those expectations may set one up for failure. The key is again to adjust within the boundaries of one's authenticity. Understanding what's expected, and communicating with confidence in one's unique style.

Role models are excellent to show what's possible. Feedback can be very useful to understand what you still need to learn. However, when selecting a role model, make sure to choose someone that you can also identify with. For example, I might choose Tony Robins as a role model, but I'm not a man, I did not have an alcoholic mother and did not grow up in poverty. That makes it harder to emulate that particular path to success. A lack of suitable role models can be a problem for aspiring leaders. Likewise, feedback may be inspired by criteria you cannot meet. This makes developing and embracing your authentic identity even more important.

There’s no shortage of experts telling you what you should do and how you should do it. I recommend adopting a growth mindset as a pathway to learn from your experiences and develop a healthy sense of humility coupled with curiosity.

Executive presence or what I like to call presence is one of the most important skills to embody in life period. As a coach, working with my clients to learn how to be more present in life is essential to ensure you don’t miss out on life and the special people and moments around you. Being present requires intentionality, patience and practice but when done right it opens up new opportunities to others and yourself.

It is common for senior leaders to feel a strong pull to fill perceived 'leadership gaps' with direction and vision. There are definite situations where this is right and effective, however remember it creates a systemic reliance of followers on leaders showing this behaviour. Leaders' speech has a distorting effect on their followers, groupthink being just one example. If you expect your people to listen when you speak, then you must also provide silence to allow them to think - or be expected to do all the thinking in the organisation. Try speaking after your subordinates as a principle. Not only will it bring more diverse views into play before you make decisions, you may even find your executive presence is enhanced as a result.