Executive Presence: Is It Too Late To Be A Born Leader?
Posted on July 27, 2011 by Baxter Dickson
I read an interesting article yesterday by a fellow author, Sally Williamson in Training Magazine. In researching her book The Hidden Factor: Executive Presence, she surveyed some 400 C-level executives. Her findings will ring true to you, I’m sure. 89% said executive presence is a factor in career success, and 78% said the lack of it can slow your progress. And what about leadership? A full 85% of the executives she interviewed stated they believe executive presence is a crucial trait.
Here’s something that may surprise you – and it’s good news.
98% of the executives confessed they weren’t born with presence. They had to learn it, practice it and build that skill. Moreover, 65% say executive coaching can help a leader develop presence and 55% believe leadership programs help.
Ok. We know we need it…
And we want it and we can learn it. But let’s take a minute to be sure we understand what “it” is. Executive presence isn’t an act you put on like a costume. It’s understanding and harnessing your own qualities, behaviors and communication style to authentically engage others while conveying confidence, power, and credibility.
Wow. That sounds complex and intertwined and deep. Feel overwhelmed? Stay with me and you won’t.
There are physical attributes to executive presence
We all recognize them the moment a leader enters a room. Body language says a great deal — taking a strong, balanced stance conveys competence. A clear, dynamic voice is persuasive. Deep measured breathing aids both and keeps the speaker centered. That’s a powerful feedback loop – when you stand strong and speak clearly, an audience is predisposed to persuasion. That, in turn, helps you feel calm, focused and more able to listen, think and respond powerfully.
If you stop with the physical appearance…
You’re not going to have the success you want. Executive presence is more than an “act” you put on to impress people. A colleague of mine puts it this way: “You don’t want to be the person who comes into a room and says, ‘I’m here.’ You want to be the kind of person who walks into a room and others say, ‘He’s here.’”
This kind of impact doesn’t come from a quick fix.
At its core, true executive presence is a more powerful way of seeing yourself and the world, which enables a more effective approach to engage it. The process of building that more meaningful level of executive presence requires an “inside-out” model, as we say at VoicePro.
The process starts with understanding communication styles.
Different people have different approaches to communication, and those differences can lead to misunderstanding…that robs personal power…that leads to conflict and ineffectiveness. An executive needs to understand his own personal communication style. At VoicePro we use the Disc Behavioral Assessment and also videotaping to help participants set that baseline.
Next, the in-touch executive develops the ability to identify the communication styles of others, so she can adjust her own behavior to others, engage them, understand them and shape communication skills to balance desired outcomes with audience needs, even in a “think-on-your-feet” situation.
Now for the full disclosure…
There’s no quick fix for executive presence and no shortcuts. Think about it, though — would you want it any other way? Real executive presence must be authentic. That requires adjusting your worldview, practice, and mindfulness. It demands commitment to seeing people and situations differently and then behaving accordingly.
So do you have what it takes to be better? The vast majority of top executives think you do. So do I.
Learn more about the Executive Presence courses we offer at VoicePRO Inc. and get started today.
Image by Lawrence Whittemore
