Executive Presence

Executive presence. You sense when people have it. It’s a response you feel. You are drawn to these leaders – their vision, their messages, and their work. You are inspired to follow their lead to get great things done.

Clearly, executive presence is important if you lead others, and especially if you aspire to the next level of leadership. But how do you develop something that is so hard to define?

Consider leaders you admire for their presence. What words best describe them?

Executive Presence Equation

As you consider these words, you may notice that they are a blend of impressions they make and their credibility. I like to think of this as a simple equation: style + substance = executive presence.

Style is what people see, feel, and experience while relating with you whether in person or virtually. Style is made up of tactical behaviors that are easier to develop. This includes verbal cues such as tone, word choice, pace, lack of filler words, and pauses. It also includes visual cues such as a smile, eye contact, posture, and appearance.

But while style may entice people to listen to you, it’s your substance that influences them to follow you.

Substance is the credibility of getting great things done. It is not just what you do, but how you do it. It is made up of broader, complex competencies you demonstrate over time. The Leadership Circle Profile includes a mix of 18 task-focused and people-focused Creative Competencies, such as Integrity, Courageous Authenticity, Purposeful and Visionary, Achieves Results, Decisiveness, Caring Connection, Interpersonal Intelligence, and Composure.  

Awareness is the Key

The key to developing your executive presence is to build your awareness of your balance between style and substance. Think of awareness as a fulcrum underneath the equation:

If your fulcrum is aimed mostly on style, your leadership may come across as shallow and fleeting. If your fulcrum is aimed mostly on substance, you may limit who you will influence to follow your lead.

Consider the leader you admire once again. Where is their fulcrum?

Now ask yourself, where is yours?

Practical Steps to Enhance Your Executive Presence

1. Seek Feedback: Actively ask for feedback from peers, mentors, and team members to understand how they experience you.

2. Practice Awareness: Regularly reflect on your actions and your impact on others. Work with a coach to help you tune in to your style and adapt in the moment.

3. Develop Communication Skills: Focus on the clarity of your message and your verbal and visual cues to ensure your message is received as intended. Record a presentation or meeting and watch it back to objectively identify what is working and what could be even better.

4. Build Interpersonal Intelligence: Cultivate empathy, listening, and your ability to manage your feelings effectively.

5. Demonstrate Integrity: Consistently align your actions with your values and purpose.

Being aware of both your style and substance is the key to executive presence. By doing so, you can inspire confidence and motivate people to achieve great things.