Does your executive presence command inspiration or just compliance?

This week, we explore a bold leadership ethos: break one rule, build one bold idea, and burn one bridge. ???

As a c-suite executive, your legacy depends not only on operational success but also on how you cultivate a culture that inspires innovation and risk-taking while challenging the status quo.

Break One Rule: The Myth of the Omniscient Leader. Build One Bold Idea: Innovation as a Cultural Cornerstone. Burn One Bridge: Command-and-Control Leadership

Does your executive presence command inspiration or just compliance? Over the years, I’ve worked with many executives across a spectrum of organisations, large and small, and if there’s one truth I’ve seen play out time and again, it’s this: executive presence provokes one of two behaviours, inspiration or compliance. And while compliance has its place, leading through compliance alone breeds a culture of resentment, fear, and toxicity. Executive presence, a potent mix of natural instinct and learned skill, is indispensable for leaders at any level, but especially for those at the top. How you show up, communicate, and connect with others directly influences the outcomes you achieve. And achieving the right outcomes? That’s entirely up to you. ??? I recall working with one director who had mastered the art of dressing the part. His sharp suit was where the polish ended. His leadership was dictated by his ego, arrogant, dismissive, and utterly deaf to his team’s ideas. His communication style? A one-trick pony of barked orders. Predictably, his team became robotically compliant, not because they believed in his vision, but because they wanted to avoid his wrath. At one point, I asked him, "why hire a talented team only to clip their wings? Was your recruitment flawed, or do you intentionally surround yourself with people you think are inferior to you?" that question stopped him in his tracks.

I am guilty of it myself, and it reminded me of my own missteps as a leader. Early in my career, within my first month, maybe even my first week in a new role (internal promotion), I made a classic compliance-commanding mistake. I decided to implement staggered lunch hours across my team, a process change I thought was perfectly logical. And because I was in charge, I naively assumed my team would simply comply. But they didn’t. Instead, frustration boiled over to the point that I nearly triggered a full-scale walkout. With my confidence shaken, I had to walk into my manager’s office, admit to my mistake, and seek help. ??? My manager, to their credit, didn’t berate me. Instead, they allocated me a more experienced manager who, within a few hours, turned the situation around. The solution wasn’t complex, it was as simple as including the team in the process, the reasoning and the value of the decision.

Break One Rule: The Myth of the Omniscient Leader The belief that great leaders must always have the answers is a pervasive and destructive myth. This assumption stifles team creativity and perpetuates a toxic culture of compliance. The most successful organisations are those that prioritise collaboration and empowerment, enabling them to outperform their peers consistently.

Instead of striving to be the smartest person in the room, shift your focus to fostering curiosity and leveraging the collective intelligence of your team. Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions.

Build One Bold Idea: Innovation as a Cultural Cornerstone What if every employee in your organisation was treated as an innovator? That’s not just a bold idea—it’s a game-changing approach to leadership.

Start by creating structures that encourage creativity, like quarterly "innovation sprints," where teams tackle real challenges with leadership support. This isn’t just aspirational; it’s transformative. Companies like 3M, with its legendary "15% rule," have consistently turned employee-driven ideas into billion-dollar successes. The message is clear: innovation thrives when employees are empowered to experiment, fail, and succeed.

Burn One Bridge: Command-and-Control Leadership Traditional command-and-control leadership models are relics of the past. In today’s dynamic business environment, agility and resilience are the true markers of success.

Research consistently shows that collaborative organisations are more innovative and adaptable. Micromanagement, on the other hand, suppresses talent and innovation, preventing organisations from reaching their full potential. It’s time to burn that bridge. Focus on fostering autonomy, building trust, and empowering your teams. When leaders let go of the need for control, they unlock the true potential of their people.

Final Thought Leadership in today’s world isn’t about rigid structures or outdated paradigms. It’s about embracing curiosity, cultivating innovation, and leading with trust. By breaking myths, building bold ideas, and burning ineffective practices, you can transform your organisation and your impact as a leader.

Are you ready to break, build, and burn?

Think on it. Your team, and your results, will thank you. And whilst thinking about this, consider how a tailored coaching programme, ranging from 6 sessions to 12 months, could provide you with the edge to amplify your leadership presence. Ready to ?explore how you can build on your success and make an even greater impact, message me now.