HOW TO DEVELOP A WINNING EXECUTIVE PRESENCE.

As leaders, bosses, executives, role models, sponsors and more in organizations around the world, we owe it to ourselves and our companies to have and use what is known as ‘executive presence’.

It is elusive for some people, and comes naturally to others. Either you’ve got it, or you don’t. Is that true?

When you have executive presence, you will find that you have greater levels of influence, and you will be more impactful than those that don’t have it.

You will see recommendations you make get accepted, you will experience people seeking your opinion more, you will see eyes deferring to you as you walk in a room, and heads nodding when you make a point.

WHAT IS EXECUTIVE PRESENCE?

Executive presence refers to the set of qualities and behaviors you display that says to the recipient of your leadership “I am competent, I am confident, I have experience, I have authority” in whatever setting you show up in.

Executive presence influences people’s perceptions of your ability to lead effectively.

Having executive presence tells others that you are a leader worthy to be respected & followed.?

It is a visible and perceptible trait that can be used to help you win in any number of situations. Some people call it charisma, or personal presence or leadership presence.

UNFORTUNATELY, there are leaders who have great business minds, and potential, who fall short of displaying executive presence.

Why don’t they demonstrate this hidden gem?

1) Poor Emotional Intelligence:?

Leaders that don’t have good emotional intelligence are not self aware, and don’t understand their strengths and weaknesses in how they show up to others.

If they ARE aware, they may not be able to control their behaviors. Some leaders may be too arrogant, while others may be too docile or indecisive.

2) Lack of confidence:?

When they don’t believe in themselves, and if they think of themselves as imposters that will show. It may result in their inability to speak up, try new things, take risks.

Leaders with executive presence exude confidence.

3) Fails to Acknowledge or Motivate Others:

We would be nowhere without our teams. A leader with executive presence seeks to show the organization at every opportunity that it is about the organization, and their customers, and less about him/herself.

4) Poor communications skills:

Some executives don’t know how to be clear and crisp in communicating. In addition, they may mumble, fidget, pace relentlessly, bite finger nails and demonstrate other signs of poor communications—that will reduce their executive presence.

5) SAY:DO ratio is out of balance:

This is what I refer to as ‘the audio matching the video’. When an executive promises more than they deliver, they will lose credibility, and their brand will not be described as someone with good executive presence.

But that’s them – that’s not you.

I am going to share with you how executive presence can be achieved, and you will soon be on your way to influencing those around you.

Firstly, executive presence consists of your ABC’s:

1. Appearance – Also known as ‘how you look’.

2. Behavior – Also known as ‘Gravitas’:

How do you behave in moments of challenge or stress?’ The way leaders with executive presence behave will be with composure, confidence, compassion and charisma.

3. Communications:

Also known as ‘what you say, and how you say it’.

1. Appearance:

My mother told me to make sure that I ‘dress like I want to be addressed so I can achieve success’.?

I loved that wonderful woman!!

That meant I had to understand that my appearance/dress is the first impression people will have of me when they see me the first thing in the morning at the office, or the first time in their life.

Your dress and appearance sends cues to people of how you want to be addressed/spoken to. It makes a statement of what you do for a living, or what you are trying to become.?

Look at how people that are in the position you aspire to be are dressing. Understand the dress culture of the organization and unless you have special status, you should follow it.?

When I worked for IBM – men wore pinstripe suits and wingtips. As a woman, I had to find some pinstriped skirt suits and wingtip pumps. I wanted to look like I was a company person and that I was willing to play the game.

You want to stand out in a good way with your performance, your character. Unless you work in the fashion industry, you do not want to wear your latest fashion finds that will make you stand out for the wrong reason. That will speak to your judgment and people may not take you seriously.

The CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Ralph Larson once said he would never let employees wear jeans to the office. That was then. This is now. They wear jeans now.

But even when you wear jeans, they should be neat, no holes, and dressed up with a jacket or nice sweater/top. You can be casual, and still have great executive presence.

2. Behavior/Gravitas:?

This is about how you behave.

There are 4C’s of Gravitas:

Composure:

Even in challenging situations, you want to be known as having a composed demeanor or a ‘cool head’, vs being a ‘hot head’. This includes correctly deciding when to listen vs when to speak, speaking assertively, making focused eye contact, and managing stress in the room effectively.?

When I was in meetings, and felt under pressure to speak or render a point of view, I learned to practice the WAIT method.

WAIT stands for “Why Am I Talking?” Taking a few deep breaths, looking around the room and deciding if what I had to say was worth interrupting the silence in the room.

Confidence:

A former branch manager of mine at IBM used to have a button he would wear on his lapel that read ‘Not always right, but never in doubt’. That was to let us know that he wasn’t a fortune teller or a mind reader, so there would be times he would be wrong. But he felt he would still make the best decision.

What he had was confidence, and would work with us as we defined the situation, looked at the pertinent information, assessed alternatives, made a decision, and measured/saw the results.?

A leader with confidence knows how to make decisions, and knows how to use their experience, the information at hand, along with critical thinking to make the best decision possible. When a leader is confident they may have executive presence.

Compassion:

When you have compassion for your organization, your peers, your clients, your subordinates, you demonstrate it by viewing their situations using the lens of care & empathy while ensuring focus on the business goal at hand.?

Theodore Roosevelt said “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”.

Charisma:

Charisma is that characteristic that politicians and preachers seem to have—they know how to address an audience, inspire them, make them laugh, make them think, and make them find the leader charming or compelling. The audience will follow them, and be more easily influenced by them.?

A charismatic leader, normally has a positive outlook, is adaptable to different social situations & helps their audience feel understood & special.

3. Communications:

The third way people will understand what you are about, is how you greet them, or how you communicate key messages. You can communicate verbally & nonverbally.

Make sure how you are communicating matches what you are communicating. Be able to clearly articulate ideas, be concise, informative and insightful. Become good at storytelling, and practice 'active listening’.?

Pay attention to body language (i.e folding your arms over your chest may send a subliminal signal that you have an issue with who you’re speaking with) and to your gestures to ensure they align with your message.

I have practiced in the mirror, what my facial expressions will look like when I’m on stage, when I’m walking into a room to greet people, etc. Understand how your face will communicate your state of mind—are you calm, agitated, curious, confused? What do you want people to see in your face? Your body language?

Are you able to control your expressions?

Your ABC’s Are Necessary, But Not Sufficient.

Having executive presence is necessary to be an influential leader for the long term, and to handle challenging situations. But executive presence is not enough to win. There needs to be steak, and not just the sizzle.

In addition to having Appearance, Behavior & Communications (ABC’s) the leader with executive presence will display:

Visionary leadership:

Ability to set a clear direction and inspire others with a compelling vision for the future.

Strategic & Critical Thinking:

Capacity to think holistically while looking at multiple aspects of the problem, while making decisions that align with long-term organizational goals.

Decision Making:

Confidence in making timely decisions based on your analysis, intuition, and consideration of risks.

Authenticity and Integrity:

Being authentic in behaviors & committing to ethical behavior and transparency, building trust and credibility with colleagues and Stakeholders.

Collaboration:

Can work collaboratively across teams and departments, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise.

Agility:

Flexibility to take changing information & uncertainty, and fluidly change course while focused on objectives.

Resilience:

Ability to bounce back from setbacks and learn from challenges, demonstrating perseverance and determination.

Emotional Intelligence:

Awareness of and ability to be aware of and manage one’s own emotions and understand others’ emotions to foster effective relationships and teamwork.

Remember, these characteristics collectively contribute to your effectiveness as a leader, and your ability to drive success in a corporate environment.?

Executive presence can be learned—start learning how to exhibit this important trait Now!

This will ultimately pave the way for your movement upward and onward in your career and within the organization.