Executive Presence

Executive presence, sometimes called Leadership presence, has to do with the way one carries and conveys oneself, including confidence, composure, decisiveness, authenticity and the ability to communicate in an articulate manner.

Professionals with strong executive presence are composed, they establish strong connections, stay in the moment, communicate confidence, speak with impact, communicate clearly and stay on point (Business Insider, 2013).

Executive presence is about your ability to inspire confidence — inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for great achievements (Forbes, 2018).

As stated by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success, “It is executive presence—and no man or woman attains a top job, lands an extraordinary deal, or develops a significant following without this heady combination of confidence, poise, and authenticity that convinces the rest of us we’re in the presence of someone who’s the real deal.”
Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success

Research by the Center for Talent Innovation revealed that being perceived as leadership material is an essential requirement for promotion. The 268 survey respondents stated “executive presence” accounts for 26 per cent of what it takes to get promoted into leadership positions.

Your executive presence determines whether you gain access to opportunity. There’s a saying in leadership, “All the important decisions about you will be made when you’re not in the room.” It’s true. Whether it’s a decision about an important opportunity, a promotion to a critical role or an assignment to a high-visibility project, you won’t be in the room. The opportunities you gain access to depend on the confidence you’ve inspired in the decision makers. And, the more significant the opportunity, the more important executive presence becomes.

Executive presence will not earn you a promotion, but a lack of executive presence will impede your ability to get as far as you want to go. (Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Author of Executive Presence).

Research by Sylvia Ann Hewlett identified Executive Presence is a dynamic mix of 3 things:

1. Appearance (how you look and what your body language says)
2. Communication (how you speak; the content, purpose and precision of your message)
3. Gravitas (how you act, behave and conduct yourself)

1. How do I show up?
2. What am I signalling by how I act, how I speak, how I look?
3. Am I a clear, concise communicator?
4. Do I dress for leadership success?
5. Do I stay positive and poised under pressure?

- Executive Presence | Sylvia Ann Hewlett | Talks at Google [VIDEO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2QOAfWLedE

- Self-Assessment: Executive Presence - Clearwater Consulting Group

https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/119839/file-2224036323-pdf/docs/exec_pres_self-assess_revised_5dec14.pdf?t=1505143438331

- Executive Presence Development Brand Workbook

http://www.executive-presence.co.za/downloads/Executive-Presence-Brand-Development-Workbook.pdf

- Executive Presence Workbook - Every Woman

https://www.everywoman.com/sites/default/files/ew-executive-presence-wkbk.pdf

- Personal Executive Presence Quiz

https://www.riddle.com/view/230724

Executive Presence: What Is It, Why You Need It And How To Get It https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/07/31/executive-presence-what-is-it-why-you-need-it-and-how-to-get-it/#3ad8ad336bc7

7 Traits Of Executive Presence, The Key To Winning People Over https://www.businessinsider.com/the-7-traits-of-executive-presence-2013-9?r=US&IR=T

The Science of Influence: The Three Dimensions of Executive Presence

https://www.bates-communications.com/articles-and-newsletters/articles-and-newsletters/bid/57930/The-Science-of-Influence-The-Three-Dimensions-of-Executive-Presence

The "It" Factor: How to Have Executive Presence in a Meeting

https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-it-factor-how-to-have-executive-presence-in-a-meeting

The 3 things that make for Executive Presence – and how to build them https://pennydevalk.com/the-3-things-that-make-for-executive-presence-and-how-to-build-them

How to Develop Executive Presence and Lead with Confidence https://www.moderngov.com/2019/05/develop-executive-presence-lead-confidence/

9 Tips for Women Leaders to Convey Executive Presence.

https://medium.com/the-mission/9-tips-for-women-leaders-to-convey-executive-presence-cd705f124a14

6 Character Traits of Leaders with Executive Presence

https://www.workingvoices.com/insights/6-character-traits-of-leaders-with-executive-presence/