Executive Presence - How to Level Up and Express the authentic you
Do you have the ability to inspire trust and command attention? A a core ingredient to leadership, this is one of the easier skillets to learn.
(Teddy the Corgi; In an elevator)
What is executive presence?
You got feedback from your manager or leader that you need to have more executive presence. But what does that mean?
Presence is defined as a state of existing. Executive is defined as the ability to put actions or plans into effect. So together, executive presence refers to the ability of an individual to command attention, inspire trust, and influence others effectively.
Think of an executive that you admire. Most likely, he or she presents herself differently than others. It’s a combination of factors that all help signal together that this is someone to pay attention to, and there are different styles of executive presence.
Critical components of Executive Presence
How you present yourself
Your appearance affect how others perceive you. An executive is generally cleanly dressed with well fitting clothes (even if informal jeans and shirt). Executives often have some element of personality through jewelry or accessories but try to avoid very polarizing messages as they are leading large, diverse teams.
Humans are group and social creatures. We naturally mimic the way our leaders dress and behave. This is not a negative, it promotes group harmony. If you aspire to be a “dominant” individual in the group, then you must, to some extent, look the part.
Dressing in clothing and choosing styles that are more formal, with crisp lines and heavier materials can help counter perceptions of seeming younger or blending into the room. If you tend to look young or have a difficult time being taken seriously, try opting for more former, older clothes, and layer with or avoid soft, cuddly materials. Some people even opt into shorter haircuts (or hair up), and bolder prints or colors (tastefully done).
For minorities, dressing in clothing that are more associated with the perception of leadership in their company culture (e.g .what your VPs and C-level executives wear) can avoid calling too much attention to being “the other”, and more easily add to their perception of leadership and power. While having a personal style and being authentic is important, there’s a balance between alienating oneself and expressing yourself through clothing.
Pay attention and ask around a bit on where and how people shop. It does not have to be time consuming. I know many leaders whom have a stylist at places like Nordstorm that offer the service for free, or simply purchase variations of pieces they regularly wear. It can also cut down time to go to stores that cater to a more professional crowd (e.g. Uniqlo, Zara, Mango) than spending hours trying to find a needle in a haystack at Forever 21. Remember, professional does not have to mean expensive.
How you hold yourself
This is your demeanor and how you engage with others. This intangible factor gives important signals to those you interact with. Pay attention to how you’re holding yourself during meeting or walking around the office. You are always sending a message with how you hold yourself — make sure it’s the one you want.
Here are some main points to consider:
When walking, hold your head and sight at eye level (not too high up — arrogance, or too far down — deferring). This applies to walking or sitting. Some people practice walking with a book level on their head (I believe there are certain parts of manners training that is useful). Or having some dance experience (e.g. ballet, ballroom, even yoga) also helps with this posture. They help you be more aware and in touch with how your body is positioned at any time.
When you enter a new space, look around. Scan the room and meet gazes of others as greeting. It’s important not to hold gazes for too long (sign of aggression) or look away too quickly (sign of fear)
When in meetings, sit upright and alert. Don’t slouch or stare at your phone in your hands between your legs. Avoid leaning on your elbows or hands. This helps you remain engaged in the conversation and increase the chances you participate. Remember, if you’re not going to add value in a meeting, don’t go.
When you’re standing in a group, try to be “in” the flow of the conversation. Seek to actively make space for others. When you’re sitting down, be somewhat close to the center of attention (e.g. other leaders in the room). It matters who you are perceived next to frequently. Don’t be the one who’s afraid to sit next to the CEO if the chair is empty.
How you express yourself
Speak with a strong voice (literally). Practice speaking clearly, confidently, and with authority. It’s important to have your voice carry across a room. Imagine putting power and authority into the sounds you are making. Visually aim for a spot on the wall across the room and try to “hit it” with your voice. Joining a program like Toastmasters or Improv can also help.
Be direct in your language.
Avoid ending your sentences with a lift in tone (as if asking a question). End your sentences cleanly and with a downwards tone (unless you’re actually asking a question).
Avoid apologizing unnecessarily (e.g. “I’m sorry, I thought…” or “Sorry if this is off-topic…”) and self-deprecating comments (e.g. I’m always so bad at…, I never…). Just skip those phrases entirely and say that you were going to say after that.
Minimize the usage of qualifying statements (e.g. I thought that maybe…, Perhaps we could…, if you guys are up for it…). Similar to above, skip to the content.
Decrease your usage of filler words (e.g. umm, like, so, you know, things). Try actively paying attention to your speech, or recording yourself. Replace filler words with a pause and slow down your speech until your brain has had a chance to process the next phases. Most of us talk too quickly with words jumbled together (e.g. word vomit). Leaders tend to speak more slowly and directly.
Take control of the conversation in a room. Help drive forward the conversation and lead the group. Ways to do this include:
Suggest alternative formats for the group (e.g. how about we do a quick poll? how about we all take 5 min to think about x?)
Bring in others who are quiet (e.g. Jane is an expert in X, let’s hear what she thinks)
Actively help avoid rabbit holes (e.g. This is not a critical point for our current decision. How about we address x and come back to this at a future time).
Summarize and move the group forward (e.g. To help summarize, we have discussed x, y, and z and have agreed on A. We now need to decide B. Who has a perspective on B?)
Tie together multiple threads of conversation into a general conclusion (e.g. Joe mentioned A and Jane mentioned B. Together this means that…)
Note: while participatory inputs are helpful (e.g. building on someone else’s point, asking a question, or offering additional resources), they aren’t perceived as leadership statements. Try for statements that aim to move the group along or lead to conclusions.
Be assertive and don’t get cut off or spoken over. When you are expressing your perspective, do it directly with power. If others begin to talk as well, politely tell them (don’t ask or apologize) to wait till you are finished.
Do this: Hi Bob, please wait for me to finish before you speak. My thought is important.
Not this: I’m sorry, Bob? Could you let me finish? (You are giving away power to Bob by apologizing and asking for permission).
Stay calm and collected during heated discussions. It is a sign of maturity and leadership not to escalate emotional debates. Instead, actively seek to de-escalate and moderate, even if you may be “right” in the moment.
Putting it into practice
Prioritize what to work on
It’s important to have a sense of what aspect of executive presence is more important for you to work on than others. Start with any feedback you’ve been given. If it’s vague, go back and as for specific examples or clarifications (use the components above as examples!). Then, take a day to notice your own behavior, how you speak, and what problems you tend to run into more often. If you’re still struggling to pinpoint, ask a friend or hire a career coach.
Once you have a good list, look for theme or groups of problems you can tackle together. Prioritize the highest impact, lowest effort changes, and build a plan.
Breakdown the moments
It can be somewhat tiring when you’re starting out to always been carrying around “executive presence”. As with any skill or habit, in the beginning, it’s important to start small.
The first dimension is situation. You can pick 1-2 situations where you’ll work on your executive presence. I recommend group meetings or presentations.
The second dimension is familiarity. It is easier to try on a new skill or habit with people who know you less well. So, start with more new situations where there’s less of an expectation.
Practice, practice, practice
More than anything, it’s important to setting aside time for dry runs and practice. If speaking with confidence and projecting your voice across the room doesn’t come naturally to you, then it requires devoted work. This element of executive leadership is one of the more coachable ones, and progress is visible and incremental. Make sure you invest the time!
Executive Presence vs Cultural Stereotypes and Gender Norms
Executive presence in the western business world is developed and popularized by white men, who make up 80% of executives. Therefore, many factors and behaviors associated with executive presence can run contradictory or counter to gender norms and cultural stereotypes. Going against these too directly and consistently can feel dissonant for many, resulting in implicit biases and discomfort. Or, said more simply, in many cases, a female executive cannot simply present themselves as a male executive would and get the same response.
One good example of this dissonance is being warm and nurturing (gender norm) versus assertive and confident (executive presence) for women. How can you be both?
Well, you cannot. At least not at the same time. You can however, across multiple moments, scenarios, and interactions, be sometimes warm and sometimes assertive. Perhaps in a group decision-meeting you are assertive, and then in a tricky one-on-one you are more warm and nurturing. Perhaps when driving towards a product launch you are more assertive, but when discussing results at a lunch and learn you are more nurturing.
Consider the various types of situations you are in for work, and which ones can be better used to demonstrate which type of skill.
This was a helpful post and clarified what executive presence means. Thank you!