Executive Presence Defined
Executive presence is when someone walks into the room with poise and confidence. There is an authenticity about them that communicates that they have it together. They’re able to quickly engage with people, and connect with people. They broadcast to others that they’re the one in charge, that they’re a cut above the rest, and that they have what it takes to be successful and succeed at whatever it is they put their mind to. It’s something that may not come naturally to everyone, but it can absolutely be taught. You can adapt to this kind of confident demeanor and find more success in the business world.
Asking for Feedback
One way to move from where you are now, to displaying and portraying an executive presence, is to ask for feedback from those that know you. In order to take an assessment of yourself and determine where you need to make changes or improvements, it can be helpful to get outside perspectives. These perspectives could come from your boss, your coworkers, your peers, and other people who see you behave in professional situations. They can give you a lot of information on how you present and portray yourself, as well as the gaps that you may have in portraying yourself as successful.
Elements of Executive Presence: How You Act
The first aspect of executive presence is how you act. This is something that people can assess for themselves. Ask yourself: what are your values? If you don’t know what they are, start identifying what is important to you at your core. Do you act in accordance with your values? If you don’t walk your talk, or if you say one thing and do another, you are not demonstrating executive presence. Is there a sense of consistency about you? You and your word should be one in the same.
Elements of Executive Presence: Level of Competence
The second aspect of executive presence is your level of competence. What is your depth and breadth of knowledge? If you’re an expert, what kind of expert are you? What level of expert are you? Are you coming off as competent in a variety of different ways? Can you maintain a real sense of calm in pressured situations? If you can do that, then you can think under the gun and still make the right decisions.
Elements of Executive Presence: Vulnerability
Vulnerability is the willingness to share yourself with your customers, co-workers, and fellow employees. It takes a strong, confident, somewhat fearless person to put themselves out there in a very authentic way, without worrying about what other people think of them. Be able to demonstrate your mistakes, and how you’ve learned from them, to increase your executive presence.
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