Powerful Women Exude Presence

The Focus Forward Formula: Propelling More Women Lawyers to Power Positions

I'm on a mission to propel more women lawyers to power positions where they can have more control over their careers, compensation, and courage. Today, I discuss?how to create a more powerful presence to propel you forward.?

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Powerful Women Exude Presence

"I am very good at what I do. I am better at it than anyone else. And that is not arrogance, that is a fact."

Olivia Pope, Scandal

When I think of powerful women full of presence, the TV character Olivia Pope, the masterful crisis fixer, jumps to mind. Olivia owns whatever room she is in, and you never doubt that she will be able to deliver on what she promises. Now, not all of us have excellent writers under the tutelage of Shonda Rhimes to craft our words and actions to create that aura of gravitas.

However, that does not mean that it is outside of our grasp. You can learn presence. We can create gravitas that makes people feel confident in us and want to hire and promote us.

Here are three tips to enhance your presence and your power.???

Tip 1. Determine How You Want to Be

We all have gone to meetings and conferences where one or two people stand out beyond all others—and it has nothing to do with their titles. It is their confidence and how they conduct themselves that sets them apart.

As lawyers, we often focus on enhancing our legal and technical skills and don't think about how we want to show up and be at meetings. And how we are impacts how others view us. If we run into a meeting all–harried and scattered, your message will not affect the audience as you wanted.??

And that impression can impact not only those who witness it first-hand but also who hear about it from others. Do you want to be the person in the room who says math is not your thing or the person who has mastered enough financial lingo to discuss impact? Are you playing on your phone as others add value or sitting at the powerbroker's right hand?

We must act as we want to be perceived. And to do this, you first need to know how you are perceived. You need to obtain feedback on how others view your presence and what you can do to enhance it, even if it is good.

Second, you want to observe people whose presence you admire and think about what they do and if you can adopt and adapt an authentic version of some of those behaviors.

Third, when going into meetings, Zoom calls, etc., you want to manifest the presence you wish to emulate.?

Tip 2. Prepare and Practice

Presence just doesn't happen. "John," a senior business leader, shared with me that he often gets to his office early to go through his meetings and think about how he will be in those meetings and what he needs to prepare or practice to nail.

He told me, "I can come in looking the part full of confidence, but if I don't have my material down cold, I am a dead man." John shared that the prep and practice have lessened over time, but he still makes the time to evaluate what he needs to do to be the best that he can be.?

Also, as you begin to prep and practice, circle back to those you sought feedback from earlier and see if they see a difference. Again, you are asking about your substance and presence.

Tip 3. Walk the Talk

Don't leave the practice at the door. Act with presence and intention and bring it into the room.

If you are changing behaviors, this may feel strange or uncomfortable at first, and it will take some time. Know you are capable of change and great things.

Give yourself the grace of baby steps. If you usually sit in the back of the room behind binders. You are not going to start by sitting next to the CEO and clarifying your bosses' advice. But you can start by sitting at the table and committing to making one value-add statement per meeting. If you have heard that your advice is too full of legalese and not focused on the business, take what you have prepared and have it handy. You can talk off the cuff later on. Remember to celebrate each success you have.

And if you follow the tips, you will be like Olivia Pope and be able to say: "It's handled."

What more insights? Check out...

6 Tips To Withstand An Economic Downturn ?-?In this guide, Sheila shares her top tips for making the power moves that will propel your business and career development forward in economic uncertainty and give you greater control of your career, compensation and courage.?

10 Tips for In-House Counsel Struggling to Advance - In this guide, Sheila shares her time-tested tips for in-house counsel to release fear, jump-start your career, and propel you towards promotion.

Sheila is the CEO of Focus Forward Consulting. She helps intelligent and accomplished women lawyers go from uncertain and uninspired to unstoppable and attain power positions where they have greater control of their careers, compensation, and courage.