Not to long ago, I was asked by a prospective client, what I meant by someone being a powerhouse leader, even when they aren’t a senior level executive. As much as I hated to do it, being a coach, I turned it back to him and asked what he thought it meant.
He, like many others, including senior managers, got caught up in the physical and operational aspects; how they look and how well they execute. While those two things are critical to leadership, being a powerhouse really comes from so many aspects; behavior, attitude, words, actions, and appearance. It’s often referred to as possessing executive presence.
On a scale of 1-10, how would you measure your own executive presence? Do you fully understand what it means to possess it?
Like my prospective (now) client, many feel the concept is elusive and challenging to gain. But trust me, it isn’t rocket science. It’s all about making small but powerful shifts to your mindset, behavior, and leadership style to make an impact on your team, business, and self.
Afterall, according to a study by the Center for Talent Innovation, 26% of employees believe that executive presence is key to getting promoted. So, if you’re aiming for the top, grasping this concept is non-negotiable.
Exactly what is executive presence? It is the nuanced interplay of confidence, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and strategic thinking. It’s about how you carry yourself, how you interact with others, and how you make decisions.
Let’s dive a little deeper on each:
- Confidence is the belief in your abilities, skills, and judgment. It is not about arrogance but about being self-assured in your competencies and decisions. Confidence affects how others perceive you and your ability to lead. It instills trust and inspires those around you. For example, as a confident leader, you can effectively and clearly convey their vision, address questions, and handle objections or adversity without wavering in board meetings, team gatherings, performance reviews, and mitigation discussions.
- Self-awareness involves understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and the impact of your behavior on others. It includes recognizing your emotions, triggers, and areas where you need growth. High self-awareness allows you to manage your reactions effectively, make better decisions, and maintain professional relationships. For example, if you tend to get defensive under criticism, work on staying open to feedback, ask questions for understanding, and use it to improve your individual style, and team dynamics and performance.
- Emotional intelligence, more than a buzz word, it is the ability to understand, use, and manage your emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and defuse conflicts. It helps in building stronger workplace relationships, promoting a positive work environment, and enhancing team cohesion. For example, when a team member is struggling, you notice, put yourself in their shoes, and offer support, thereby boosting morale and productivity not only for that individual but the entire team by modeling powerhouse leadership.
- Communication is paramount. It means you are able to convey information clearly and effectively, whether through speech, writing, or non-verbal means. It encompasses active listening, persuasion, and the ability to engage an audience. It shows how you are able to infuence others, drive change, and ensure your message is understood and acted upon. For example, during a crisis, a leader with strong communication skills can calm the team, provide clear instructions, and ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Strategic thinking – This isn’t about thinking outside of the box. It is the ability to look ahead, plan long-term, anticipate future challenges, and make decisions that align with overarching goals. It enables you to foresee opportunities and threats, adapt strategies accordingly, and guide the organization towards sustainable growth, i.e. A strategic thinker routinely evaluates market trends, competitor activities, and internal data to adapt their team, business strategy, and decision making to elevate the business and stay competitive.
A leader with executive presence possess aspects of all of them to effectively lead their team, business, and self… and that’s where many professioanls get overwhelmed with what they need to do to work on all of those aspects.
Strategies for gaining executive presence:
1. Self-Assessment Start with a deep dive into your abilities and opportunities for growth. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, and any blind spots you’ve been ignoring. Think of it as an internal SWOT analysis of YOU that includes a great baseline for your to focus on shifting to a place of powerhouse and true executive presence. Note: self-assessments can be pre-defined or customized to address specific areas important to an individual. Let’s talk if you want to know more.
2. Seek Feedback: Incorporate insights from colleagues, mentors, and even subordinates. A 360-degree assessment gives you a holistic view of how others perceive you. Remember, perception is reality to others. So, feedback is critical to ensure you are showing up at your best in both your eyes and those of others.
Research by Zenger Folkman indicates that leaders who solicit feedback are perceived to outperform those who don’t by most measures.
Reach out if you want to discuss having a tailored 360 Assessment done for yourself or a team member.
3. Personal Development Roadmap: Create a tailored and detailed personal development roadmap targeting high-impact areas. Leverage the information from a 360-assessment or self-assessments, or focus on the key aspects of executive presence: self-awareness, strategic communication, decision-making, and resilience. Using the SMART methodology of goal setting, you can ensure you set specific, measurable goals and track your progress. Email me if you want a template to use.
4. Continuous Learning: You can’t overlook your leadership development needs. Layout and commit to being a lifelong learner. Enroll in leadership programs, read industry-specific books or on-line resources, or tune into insightful podcasts. Our “Shedding the Corporate Bitch” podcast is a treasure trove of wisdom for corporate climbers. Be sure to even share it with your team members.
5. Strategic Communication: Develop the art of influencing and persuading. This isn’t just about what you say, but how you say it, and should be used daily to inspire team members, gain agreement on proposals or business cases, and even, handling conflicts or difficult conversations. Practice active listening— ask questions, gather insights, respond thoughtfully, and lead with empathy.
What can you do right now?
1. Allocate time each week for self-reflection. Ask yourself: What did I do well? Where did I falter? What did I learn? Use this as a springboard for growth.
2. Invest in a professional coach to guide you, provide feedback, be a sounding board and cheerleader, and hold you accountable. Check out Ball of Fire Coaching to see how we can partner and support you, your team, or HR development plans.
3. Build genuine and meaningful relationships with key stakeholders, mentors, team members, vendors, and others. You can even establish a “personal board of directors” who can offer you a range of perspectives to key challenges and opportunities for you. Leadership success rates improve by 12% for those with robust professional networks, according to a report by the American Management Association.
4. Adopt the qualities you’d admire in a leader and model that behavior and character each and every day, i.e. Integrity, authenticity, and consistency which builds trust and inspires your team.
5. Keep stressors and emotions in check. Your team members need composure, a calm demeanor, and stability to breed confidence in themselves and you. Emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of executive presence—it’s about empathy, resilience, and navigating challenges gracefully.
Building executive presence is like sculpting a masterpiece—it takes time, effort, and continual refinement. Embrace the journey, commit to evolving, and watch your professional life soar.
#ExecutivePresence, #LeadershipDevelopment, #CorporateCoaching, #ProfessionalGrowth, #SelfAssessment, #StrategicCommunication, #ContinuousLearning, #CareerAdvancement, #EmotionalIntelligence, #ConfidenceBuilding, #NetworkingSuccess
Sources:
- Center for Talent Innovation: “Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success”
- American Management Association: “Networking and Leadership Success”
