Test your "Leadership Presence"

Do you have a great “Leadership Presence”? By “leadership presence”, I don't necessarily mean your leadership qualities. Leadership presence is what people feel about you when they interact with you or even just see you. It's often nonverbal.

As a leader, it’s so important to give off a vibe that makes your team feel respect for, and confidence in you.

Here are 7 things you can do to improve your Leadership Presence:

1.???? Confident but Approachable- At the end of the day, you want people to respect you, have faith in you, and want to engage with you. For some, this will take time but continue to work on your confidence and continue to work on being the person people want to talk to. Until then, fake it till you make it.

2.???? Posture- Many people have poor posture. Some have OK posture. Very few have great posture. Whether you’re sitting or standing, rise up, pin your shoulders back, and be a force.

3.???? Dress for Success- Yes, times have changed. You don't always need to be wearing a suit and tie but for the love of Pete, don't show up with wrinkled clothes or look like you're going to a rock concert. Dress like a leader. I mean, buttons and collars aren’t a bad thing. At the very least, wear quality/stylish clothing that shows you take pride in your appearance.

4.???? Make an Entrance- I often see leaders awkwardly ooze into a room or meeting, and people barely notice. I suggest you be recognized. Enter with purpose, make eye contact with others, greet them, and go to your spot like a boss. I find it helps to enter a room like it's your own living room. (Leave your pants on)

5.???? Eye Contact- Don’t underestimate the importance of this. It's a sign of confidence and respect. Work on it (but remember to blink.)

6.???? Good Handshake- Nothing screams meekness more than a weak handshake, and nothing says “controlling psychopath” more than the vice-grip of death. Find the middle. It's not that hard.

7.???? Remembering and Using People's Names- if you're like me, this is the toughest one on the list. I’ll let you Google the one-million ways to get better at this but at the end of the day, it comes down to recognizing how important it is, and just get focused on it. (And no, “Hey bro” is not fooling anybody.)

Work on making these 7 things second nature and you’ll power up your Leadership Presence.