5 Ways To Develop Executive Presence
The most experienced and educated candidates fall short of hitting their career goals; not because they are not qualified - but because they lack executive presence.
Do you ever feel invisible in a room of peers or leaders? Do you lack the confidence to ‘show up’? Does your opinion fall on deaf ears? If so, you need to up-level your executive presence.
Presence is not an innate quality that you are born with. It is a learned set of behaviors that enable you to be well respected and command attention. When you are fully present, you inspire and your the impact of your purpose is felt.
Executive presence can refer to subtle things like …
making a polished entrance…
taking hold of a room,
forging quick personal connections…
inspiring that I’ll-follow-you-anywhere-loyalty…
conveying an aura of warmth and authenticity…. and more.
When working with executive leaders, here are the general principles I guide my executive coaching process by:
Focus / Clarity:
”Squirrel”. This statement, made famous by the spastic dog in the Disney movie Up, is what I think of when I notice myself and others drift from their topic of attention. Great communicators focus their attention mindfully and intentionally.
Ask yourself, “What is the objective of my message?” and “Can my message be communicated in 10 words or fewer?” Practice articulating your objective to yourself, before you work to communicate it to others. This internal work takes practice and coaching to perfect and perform on the spot internally before you speak.
Mindfulness also helps to think strategically, which enables you to have influence more effectively. Your content is important, but the language you choose to deliver it will impact your credibility. Creating focus internally will allow you to select the words that with the most concise articulation and impact. When someone with strong presence speaks, others take note, because of the conviction behind their words.Composure (aka body language).
Self-awareness and ‘reading’ others are essential components of executive presence. To create executive presence you must focus internally (by intentionally focusing your thoughts) and externally by generating awareness of the messages your body is sending while in any communication transaction opportunity.
One strategy I employ for executives is to create a motto to help remember your body language. Say this motto right before you enter any room. An example of a powerful motto is, “carry yourself like a queen.” This motto was a reminder for my client to walk upright (good posture is key) with poise and dignity. Instantly, this action alone, will convey authority.
The ability to control your emotions, recognize emotion in others, and manage your response is key to ‘composure’. Your goal is to communicate confidence both in what you say and how you say it.
Eye focus is critical and challenging for many people. Ensure you only speak when making eye contact and manage your eye focus appropriately when communicating with more than one person — my motto: “one thought per person”. Ensure your facial expression matches your message and that your voice has good pitch, volume, and pace. Finally, look the part. Choose the wardrobe and accessories to compliment and show respect for an opportunity that might present itself.Reflect on your habits.
When we are nervous, stressed, or confused we have internal and external ‘ticks or tells’ that appear.
Internally this appears as stuttering, babbling, or using filler words like “um,” “uh,” and “so”. This is the fastest tell-tale to anxiety or overwhelm and an indicator of a lack of focus. These habits will immediately detract from your executive presence. Externally this appears as fidgeting, touching your face, adjusting your clothing, pacing, or looking away. It is important to start noticing the ‘ticks or tells’ you display so that you can create techniques to combat poor habits which are negatively affecting your executive presence.Be still. To maintain a peaceful center, breath-awareness is the best barometer of your internal feelings. If a big deep breathe comes naturally and easy - you are likely in a good state of being. If a big deep breath is challenging - work on how to balance your breath with your thoughts. Breath work will allow you to speed up or slow down your communications to create lasting impact.
Use your breath to give weight to your words and the occasional “presidential pause.” Learn to make breath an anchor to your mindfulness; and a vehicle for relaxation of your mind and body on any given topic. Being calm and collected is the foundation of executive presence.Connect, don’t transact.
People who embody executive presence have the ability to draw others to them. This is often achieved through strong listening skills and an ability to stay “in the moment” or “focused”. As a result, the people with whom you are communicating know that you are solely focused on them, and that they matter. It’s critical to engage others when communicating and make them feel comfortable.
Connect with your audiences by learning to tell engaging and captivating stories. The best way to connect is to understand your communication style challenges, how to overcome them, and how to read and adapt to the style of others. Once you’ve delivered your message, validate it by asking a question like, “What else can I share with you about this idea?” This way you stay on point and only expand on a topic with the content that your listener needs.
Practice, with support.
Ask a colleague, mentor, or me! to help you work on your executive presence to boost your impact. Ask them for ‘in-the-moment’ coaching if they notice that your attention doesn’t seem focused or intentional, or your body language conveys something less than admired. Just as it is critical to know what you want to communicate, you must be able to do it concisely.
The lack of executive presence can prevent even the most qualified candidates, especially women, from achieving promotions for which they are otherwise strong contenders.
It is important to note that you can’t have executive presence without first having self-confidence. The process of developing self-confidence is to first truly understand and engage with your top strengths and inherent abilities. Then start to deliver those strengths with style and intention. Often this requires an executive coach who can be assist in the subtleties of the development and internalization journey that your professional persona takes on.
Executive presence is within your reach. I’ve seen many executives develop their presence with a little personal reflection, practice and coaching. Please reach out to me if you would like personalized executive coaching to further develop your executive presence.