EXECUTIVE PRESENCE

1. Have a vision, and articulate it well. One of the most important parts of inspiring
confidence is having a compelling vision— a well-conceived notion of what you’re working to
accomplish. It should be appropriate in scale for your level of seniority, and you should be able
to communicate your vision flawlessly in any circumstance, whether it’s a three-minute elevator
ride with a senior executive, an offsite with your team or a dinner with important stakeholders.
A robust, well-articulated vision is ultimately how you make your mark -- it sets you apart, and
it’s a powerful tool for inspiring confidence.

2. Understand how others experience you. People with excellent executive presence have
a keen understanding of how they’re perceived by others. That’s important because, as you
ascend to more senior levels and your span of control expands, you become increasingly reliant
on others for your effectiveness. And, before you’ll get access to the most senior opportunities,
decision makers need confidence that you can handle yourself well in all settings. Gain an
understanding of how others perceive you. Consult with mentors, and get feedback from
supervisors, peers and subordinates. Make sure to include people who see you in a variety of
situations.

3. Build your communication skills. Good leadership is ultimately about communication,

and people with great executive presence are excellent communicators. Get feedback on your
communication, and invest the time in building communication skills. You need to be an
excellent communicator across every medium — in-person, written or virtually — and in every
situation.

4. Become an excellent listener. Here’s something a lot of people forget: One of the most
important communication skills is your ability to listen. People with great executive presence are
exceptional listeners. They engage with their full attention, they ask great questions, and they
use listening as a way to engage others and explore important ideas. And there’s another benefit:
The ability to listen effectively demonstrates self-confidence, another critical part of executive
presence.

5. Cultivate your network and build political savvy. People with exceptional executive
presence recognize that organizational politics are neither a good thing nor bad. They
understand that companies are composed of complex relationships and that there will
sometimes be a diversity of opinions and competing agendas. Organizational politics are simply
the natural dynamic that arises when people work together. People with strong executive
presence are good at cultivating a network of relationships and developing the political savvy to
influence challenging situations in a productive direction.

6. Learn to operate effectively under stress. How do you behave when the stakes are
high? Do you ever appear rushed, flustered or overwhelmed? Do you lose your patience, or do
you have a reputation for being temperamental? Many people make the mistake of believing that
looking frantically busy indicates their value to the organization. It doesn’t -- it just indicates
that they’re frantically busy, and perhaps that they can’t be trusted with any more responsibility.
No one wants to see a leader who’s overwhelmed. People with good executive presence present
themselves as calm, even-keeled, composed, well-prepared and in control at all times. That
inspires the confidence that they’re ready to take on even more.
7. Make sure your appearance isn’t a distraction. Your kindergarten teacher may have
told you that neatness counts. It’s true. Visual appearance makes a first impression, and first
impressions, whether conscious or subconscious, are powerful. You want to ensure that your
first impression inspires confidence. That doesn’t mean trying to look like a fashion model.
Rather, make sure your appearance is appropriate for the setting and the company culture, and
that it is consistent with others at the level you aspire to. Pay attention to your clothing choices,
tailoring and grooming, and make sure there’s nothing about your appearance that will distract
from the impression you want to leave.

It is a catch-all phrase that is meant to capture myriad issues when managers can’t be pinned
down. I also work with managers who are trying to coach their direct reports through this
“executive presence problem.” What I’ve learned is that they are often dissatisfied with one or
more of the following issues:

1. You don’t seem very confident

2. Your behavior and/or appearance aren’t professional

3. The team doesn’t see you as a senior leader

4. Your public speaking skills are lacking

5. You don’t handle conflict very well

6. You’re lacking political savvy

7. You aren’t ready to “swim with the sharks”

8. You can’t think on your feet

9. You lack strategic vision

Or, it really comes down to reason #10:

“I don’t want to promote you into senior leadership, but I can’t figure out how to defend that

decision”

First, get a straight answer

If you are receiving fuzzy feedback from your boss or manager, then it’s time to find a trusted
friend, colleague, or mentor who will give you honest feedback. When someone is told that they
are lacking executive presence, there is obviously some issue underlying that assessment.
I had a client who received this feedback, so we spent some time digging deeper into what could
be holding her back. After a few video sessions and in-person meetings, I noticed behaviors that
wouldn’t be viewed as “executive.”

 She spoke very quietly and seemed shy

 She would hesitate a bit when she started talking

 She didn’t maintain eye contact

 She made herself “small” when seated at the table

 She let others dominate the conversation

When I work with someone, I’m 100% on their team. I’m friendly, but I’m not their friend. I have
no reason to pull punches or sugarcoat my feedback. I shared my assessment with her and we put
together a plan to strategically address each issue.

Second, create a plan

Once you understand the issues that are negatively affecting how people perceive you, you can
create a plan to attack each issue one by one. Some people are self-aware and more than willing
to make the necessary changes. However, other people get upset and defensive when they are
asked to change their behavior.

Let me be very clear. If you don’t want to play the game by their rules, stop complaining when
you lose. You certainly don’t have to change yourself to fit their image of an executive and get
promoted. But, stop whining when you get passed over.

I say this from a position of having walked in your shoes. There were times that I did make
changes in my behavior to get promoted. I changed how I dressed. I took public speaking courses.
I was trained in conflict management. I adjusted my body language and behavior to swim with
the sharks in meetings. My corporate background should be proof that I know how to play that
game.

But, there were also times that I didn’t want to become who they wanted me to be, in order to get
promoted. So, I moved on. I didn’t like their rules, so I created my own company where I could
write my own rules.

You can do the same. If you don’t like the game you’re being asked to play, move on to a different
role. Or, get a job at a different company. Or, start your own damn company and do things your
way.
But, if you do want to stay in your current company and you do want to get promoted, then
strategically map out what needs to happen. You may need to make some personal changes and
improvements. Or, you may just need to do a better job of demonstrating that you actually do
have the “executive presence” they desire.