7 Steps to Powerful
Executive Presence

Leadership and Progression

7 Ways To Improve your Executive Presence

Think back to a recent staff meeting, when someone there seemed to attract and engage everyone around the table. Someone like your company`s CEO or a fellow colleague. Someone with the ability to walk into a meeting and, grab everyone`s attention, and leave everyone yearning for more. Someone you`d say has that `it’ factor. In business, this is known as executive presence.

  • When people talk about the importance of a good first impression, they`re simply acknowledging our profound predisposition to judgment, as well as our innate vulnerability to being judged. This means the way we present ourselves to the world and our ways of being offer context for how the rest of the world perceives and engages us. So, being intentional about this process is vital.

  • That`s where executive presence comes into action. Often regarded as the `missing link between merit and success,’ executive presence gives you the ability to manage perceptions in a professional context. It is a robust skillset that can help you at every level successfully and professionally navigate the business world as a leader. .

  • You can enhance or achieve executive presence, too - whether you`re in the C-suite or not. So before you head to that next boardroom meeting, take note of a few tips that I`ve found to be helpful in growing your own executive presence. .

How to Improve your Executive Presence

Develop a Deliberate Executive Voice

  • A leader with an executive vice is just like a comedian with great timing and a sublime feel for their audience: they know what to say to the crowd and when to say it for maximum effect. Every dialogue is shaped by purpose, rapport, as well as top-notch execution. If you`re having trouble developing your executive voice, you may need to improve your understanding of the collective vision and improve your verbal and non-verbal communication prowess. Try to understand how a certain message fits your company`s long-term goals. If it doesn’t, getting rid of it and come up with a new one. Sometimes, introducing a new vision can be effective.

  • When crafting the narratives, keep in mind that executive communication is the icing on the effective communication cake. Executive communication considers what people already know, what they should know, and what they want to know. It promotes vital mechanics, such as outcomes over activities, stories over status, plain-speak over jargon, and proposing solutions over reporting problems to make sure that the intended message is relevant and resonant, as well.

Enhance your Emotional Intelligence

  • Emotional intelligence or EQ refers to the ability to express your emotions as well as perceive and influence other`s emotions. Organizations with an emotionally intelligent leader at the helm tend to have low turnover and high buy-in. However, those headed by leaders with a lack of EQ tend to flounder.

  • If you need to enhance your EQ, try creating self-awareness by challenging yourself to experience a broader array of emotions. Another way to do it is by controlling your thoughts through mindfulness techniques, like meditation. Engaging more intentionally with others can help you foster empathy.

Be Polished, Poised, and Prepared

  • If you want to be a person with an excellent executive presence, you should never let people see you sweat. You should not be harried running from meeting to meeting, and you should not be flustered when you speak. You should appear like a person who, even in the wake of a crisis in your organization in the middle of the night, could still turn up looking put together.

  • But how can you achieve this type of poise (whether you`re running from meeting to meeting)? Well, before entering the boardroom, always take a moment to compose yourself – take some deep breaths, smooth your hair, and slow down.

  • Additionally, spend some extra time beforehand to get yourself ready and prepared for anything that might come your way. Think about the questions that your client or boss might throw your way, and prepare a well-thought-out response. This will prevent you from having to scramble your notes or blurt out, `I`m not sure,’ Remain calm, collected, and the person that bears all the answers, and you`ll be seen as a leader.

Mind Your Physical Appearance

  • Your physical performance sends all sorts of messages to the outside world. Failure to be well-groomed and sharply dresses could send messages that might hurt your career. Think about the messages that your current grooming habits are sending to those around you and ask whether your physical appearance is diminishing your influence. Small tweaks can have an unanticipated effect on how you`re perceived and thus open up new opportunities to boost your influence.

  • Being polished and well-groomed translates into being perceived as someone who values and takes care of her or himself. Someone who takes their time and energy so that they can look and feel their best, which turns out to be respect and consideration for the people they lead. But it’s not all about looking good, it`s dressing for your environment, complying with the codes of the company while remaining true to yourself within them.

Make Those around You Feel Special

  • It is said that people might forget what you said, people might forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel. One of the greatest ways to improve your executive presence is by making those around you feel like they belong to the organization and that you recognize them and their effort.

  • It might seem counterintuitive, but the best way to do this is usually by listening to others, despite your status. Don’t hog the conversation and dint interrupt or speak over others. When someone is talking, try and maintain eye contact, lean towards them, and nod at what they`re saying.

  • Then, thoughtfully respond to what you heard, while asking good questions to show that you were paying close attention. The more you listen to what other people, such as your employees and departmental colleagues, the more they will listen to you.

Invite Constructive Criticism

  • The greatest leaders tend to have a healthy sense of humor, even about themselves. The capability to make fun of your foibles shows those around you that you have the maturity to lead effectively. For you to lead effectively, first accept that you aren’t perfect and revel in your humanity. Or the beauty of your frailty. Take the case of Jeff Bezos. He`s well-known for his self-deprecating humor. The Amazon CEO engenders trust by inviting other people to laugh at his expense and doesn’t take himself with much seriousness.

  • This should not, however, imply that correcting your character flaws among other detrimental behavior isn’t necessary. As a leader, constructive criticism helps you become your very best. By knowing your blind spots and thickening your skin, you stay away from what is known as the Dunning-Kruger effect. Great and effective leaders understand that progressive growth enhances career trajectories and bears a multiplier effect. When subordinates and peers feel inspired to follow suit, the positive energy that comes along can transform an organizational ecosystem entirely.

Build an Environment that Invites Open Dialogue

  • Working with a group of people in an organization is like being married. If you need it to work, you should talk about everything that goes on around you, all the time. An open dialogue empowers your team and creates camaraderie. Once you get those lines of communication set up you`re positioning your organization to succeed.

  • Keep in mind that when you push for open and honest dialogue, you build the context for greater employee engagement, which facilitates improved workplace experience across the board. These positive experiences can only impact your executive influence positively, especially high-touch interactions.

Why Does Improving Your Executive Presence Matter?

  • Making a good impression is not a choice. Instead, it’s an inevitability. Whether you know it or not, as a leader, eyes are going to be on you, and you never sure who is watching you. You can make a good, bad, or neutral impression.

  • Executive presence comprises four key dimensions: reputation, business impact, relationships, and business intelligence. When the combination of these four dimensions is robust, your executive presence will be regarded as strong. You`ll also feel confident and competent. As a leader, you are expected to be well-rounded in your business acumen, have meaningful contributions to business outcomes, and leadership skills. Your executive presence shows your capability to fit the character of these expectations at continuous levels in your career.

  • Executive presence is vital in the success and development of your career. The impressions you leave might directly have an impact on your ability to climb up in the organization or be trusted with crucial responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

  • Just like your technical skills, executive presence is also a skill that requires work, practice, and commitment. It is a skill that will be evaluated, so make sure it’s on your list of things to work on. Chiseling off the rough edges of your executive presence is a task that can seem daunting at the outset, but the benefits you reap outweigh the costs by far. By showing your best version, you offer yourself the greatest opportunity to shine. Put in the work and get yourself ready for uncommon leadership success.

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