“Executive presence is the qualities of a leader that engage, inspire, align, and move people to act” (Suzanne Bates). How important is it to you to personally have those qualities? On today’s episode, I share what I have learned about what executive presence is and why it matters. I also give specific tips for how you can strengthen your own. Listen in and prepare to choose one or two things that you can work on in your pursuit of authentic executive presence.

What is executive presence and why does it matter?

Most of us have experienced the stark contrast between a leader who has strong executive presence and one who does not. The leader who is relaxed, charismatic, articulate, highly engaging, and strategic is one we feel confident learning from and working with. On this episode, I will define executive presence and discuss the impact that it can have on your working relationships and on your future with your organization. Listen in if you would like to become an inspiring, engaging leader.

Seven emotional intelligence skills that also develop your executive presence

Have you been working to increase your EQ (emotional intelligence)? If so, you are well on your way to developing executive presence as well. While all fifteen EQ skills can be related to executive presence, there are seven which have a strong correlation, and I highlight those seven on this episode. I also mention prior podcasts which go into more depth on each of the seven, so that you can follow up with more training on the ones that resonate with you. Listen in to identify specific skills that you can develop to build authentic executive presence.

Reflection and feedback can help you formulate an action plan for developing executive presence

If you want to develop authentic executive presence, there are specific steps that you can take. On this episode, I encourage you to reflect on the emotional intelligence qualities that I describe to see which ones resonate with you and where you might want to improve. Another important step is to get feedback from people around you, and I give you some tips on who to ask and how to get the richest information back. You can use all of the data you collect to formulate your goals and action plan. Listen to this episode to learn how to set your strategy for growing toward a strong executive presence.

Personal appearance and the role models you choose impact your development of executive presence

Many people feel that the way they look and dress shouldn’t matter. But appearance does matter. It does have an impact. On this episode, I explain why one of my six steps for developing executive presence has to do with personal appearance. I also talk about the value of identifying a person you admire for their executive presence and observing that person as a role model for what you want to develop. Listen to this podcast to hear all six steps as well as the emotional intelligence skills you need for developing strong executive presence.

Outline of This Episode

• [0:34] Introduction to this episode about using executive presence to increase your impact.
• [0:57] What is executive presence?
• [3:53] How important is it to you personally to have the qualities that enable you to an inspiring, engaging leader?
• [5:02] Executive presence behaviors tend also to be emotional intelligence skills.
• [5:58] Emotional Self-awareness and emotional expression help you come across as calm and reasonable.
• [7:27] Assertiveness, rather than passivity or aggression, contributes to a commanding presence.
• [8:16] Stress tolerance enables you to stay in control
• [9:05] Self-Regard enables you to speak and act with confidence.
• [10:05] Reality Testing enables you to be objective.
• [11:00] Empathy allows you to be open to others.
• [12:04] Steps to build your own executive presence: #1 - Reflect.
• [12:25] #2 Ask for feedback.
• [13:27] #3 Use formal 360 feedback assessments.
• [14:07] #4 Use the data you have collected to formulate a set of goals with an action plan.
• [14:55] #5 Consider your appearance.
• [16:43] #6 Identify a role model.

Resources & People Mentioned

• Book: All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence by Suzanne Bates
• 360 Feedback Assessment (Scroll down on the page to access a sample report and get info about how to contact me for the assessment info)
• Episode #8 - Self-Awareness
• Episode #11 - Assertiveness
• Episode #15 - Stress Tolerance
• Episode #7 - Self-Regard
• Episode #13 - Reality Testing
• Episode #12 - Empathy