The hard truth about executive presence

Hey friend,

I talk to a LOT of women about their careers and goals. Here are some of the things I hear most often:

• I'm doing the work/job but not being given the title
• I know I should be at the next level, but my boss doesn't see it
• I'm getting great feedback in interviews but never landing that VP role

These statements may not seem to be connected in any way, but the truth is they are. In each case, someone 'should' be ready to get to the next level but it's just not happening for them. Often these women are super hard workers with every course and certification you can think of.

What gives?

This, my friends, is where 'executive presence' comes in.

If you follow my content, you know I hate it when leaders give feedback like, "You need better executive presence" or "You should work on executive presence." I hate this feedback because It's vague, and to most people, it doesn't mean anything. It's simply not actionable.

But here's the cold hard truth: It's probably true.

By that, I mean, you probably really DO need better executive presence, and this may be exactly what's holding you back from getting to the next level. So in today's newsletter, I'm going to break down:

• What executive presence is
• Why you need it
• How to get started

Let's dive in...

So, what on earth is executive presence anyway?

You know when you meet someone, and they strike you as a leader? Or, think about some of the best, most respected leaders you know... they probably all have a certain 'leadership quality' that you can't quite put your finger on. People listen to them. People want to follow them. They have a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.

That's executive presence.

Think of it as your leadership personal brand. It's a collection of traits and skills that create the perception you are senior leadership material.

Oh, and most people can recognize it when they see it, but have no clue how to advise you on how to develop it. That's another hard truth.

But make no mistake, executive presence matters

Just because no one is telling you how to improve your executive presence does not mean you shouldn't be focused on it. If you're getting great feedback and still not landing the senior roles you want, working on your executive presence should be a priority.

The reason why is exactly what I shared above - people know it when they see it, but often can't pinpoint what makes up executive presence. And therefore, they'll tell you you're doing all of the right things (because technically you are) and maybe even give you a glowing review, but they won't promote you.

Want to start developing it?

Developing executive presence is too big a topic for a single newsletter. By the time women finish my 12-week program, they have great executive presence. But how can you get started today?

When I look at all of the elements that make up executive presence, you can bucket them into four categories:

Mindset

People with executive presence are confident in what they say and do. They are also able to manage stress in a calm, collected way. This requires a strong mindset to maintain perspective when things get tough.

Relationships

This is all about the connection you create with the people around you and how drawn to you they are. How do you make people feel? What do they say about you when you're not around?

Communication Style

This one is HUGE. I talk a lot about clear, concise, and compelling communication because it's the way leaders communicate! If you struggle with this today, it would be a great place to start. Are you seen as credible and do people listen to your ideas? If not, you may have found part of your problem.

Professional Image

Your image is crucial because it impacts whether people believe you'll do the hard thing when necessary and maintain your integrity. Are you seen as reliable and trustworthy? Are you living your values? All of this is important when it comes to professional image.

A great place to start today is to give yourself a score on a scale of 1-10 in terms of how well you think you're doing in the four areas I've just described. From there, decide where to focus and create some actions around increasing your score.

And if you really want to nail executive presence and show up as the senior leader you know you can be... my group program is for you. For the next two weeks you can get my new offer (which includes a full year of support and 1:1 coaching) for the OLD program price. After Dec 1, this will never be available at this price again.

Hit me up if you want more details!

Until next time, friends... ????

Katy