Executive presence is a term that has been very prevalent within leadership circles over the last several years. The ability to command attention, to catalyze action in others, and to project an aura of professionalism are a few of the attributes that characterize what it means to possess executive presence. While there are certainly people that are naturally predisposed to the types of behavior that contribute to a strong executive presence, there are things we can all do to improve, regardless of whatever latent talents for leadership we may possess.
Here are six rules to help you develop a stronger executive presence.
1. Speak Confidently
The ability to speak with confidence is crucially important to developing a strong executive presence. Speaking confidently translates into more than just dominating opportunities for public speaking; it also means being self-assured in one on one conversations and other less formal situations. You should strive to speak in ways that indicate that you do in fact know what you are doing. Practice using unambiguous language. Say, “I will” or “I will not” rather than, “I’ll try” or “I may not.” This isn’t to suggest that you should engage in a futile struggle to expunge all ambiguity from your life, but learning to be specific and direct in your speech goes a long way toward inculcating the habits necessary to maintaining a well ordered existence.
2. Become an Expert
In an article from Forbes, it was found that nearly 60% of surveyed executives said that sounding uneducated negatively impacts the way others perceive you. While that statistic only serves to corroborate what is widely considered to be common sense, that renders it no less important when attempting to demonstrate the importance of education to the development of a strong executive presence. When you are in a leadership position, you should know what you are talking about. It’s as simple as that. To that end, work to become an expert in your field. Build a body of knowledge that allows you to understand as fully as possible the potential ramifications of your decisions in your capacity as a leader as well as furnishing you with the resources to meaningfully convey information to people within your organization, and without. By possessing a solid understanding of your chosen field, you broadcast to others that you are a person who can be trusted to make well reasoned decisions.
3. Be Flexible
A strong leader should always do their best to avoid becoming too entrenched, be it in a policy, an idea, or a vision for the future. Learning to make the best possible decision based upon the available information, regardless of any personal stakes, is integral to not only the development of a strong executive presence but also to the development of a person as a person. That being said, being flexible does not mean that you abandon a principled stand or a valued position at the drop of a hat based solely on the cold dictates of a cost/benefit analysis. I’m merely suggesting that in positions of leadership, as in life, it is generally wise to approach every situation with a healthy dose of objectivity.
4. Master Your Body Language
Your body language conveys just as much, if not more, than the words you speak. Given that body language is such a powerful vehicle for communication in almost every interaction, we would be remiss if we neglected to hone it into a tool for developing a stronger executive presence. Become aware of the signals you send via the positions in which you sit, stand, and hold your arms when listening to someone speak. Practice making eye contact with the people when you talk to them and make note of the strength of your handshake. Be confident, but not overbearing. Be interested and alert when in conversation without being insincere. Be at ease, without suffering a lack of gravitas. In terms of body language, the little things count and there are many fine lines to walk. Check out this short slideshow for a few more body language missteps to avoid.
5. Be Willing to Share, The Good and the Bad
Leadership roles of every variety and every level share one thing in common: there will be successes and there will be failures. Part of developing a stronger executive presence is being willing to share the limelight when things go well. Sharing in victories big and small allows a leader to foster loyalty among those who operate under his or her authority by demonstrating that success is important for reasons that transcend its ability to inflate an individual’s ego. Of course, a leader should also be willing to share in the blame (or shudder to say, opprobrium) should things ever take a turn for the worse. A willingness to share in both the successes and failures of command speaks volumes for a person working toward a stronger executive presence.
6. Be Authentic
Leadership is not one size fits all. A big part of fostering a stronger executive presence is being cognizant of your strengths and weaknesses. Some people are excellent speakers, storytellers, and large-venue presenters, others are not. Some people are great at running meetings, making raw data meaningful, and presenting to small groups, others are not. Some people are capable of generating fantastic ideas, getting people on board and working to bring them into reality, others are not. Bottom line: that is a-ok. Find what you are good at and run with it. Play to your strengths while simultaneously cultivating the areas in which you might not be the best. Find a form of leadership that works for you. For more tips on authenticity, consider checking out this other post on authenticity.
Working to develop a strong executive presence is of vital importance for any person that finds themselves in a position to lead. Hopefully these 6 rules prove useful on the path to improving your existing leadership skills and when fostering a few new ones.
