Note from Art: In part one of this Reaching for the Executive Ranks series, I shared guidance on developing as a strategist. In this article, I strive to demystify what is often called “executive presence,” and I share guidance and resources on strengthening yours.
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I’m fascinated by the topic of executive presence and particularly by the feedback many receive that sounds like, “You need to work on strengthening your executive presence.” This feedback typically leaves people stressed and needing clarification. In my Senior Manager Program, nearly every participant in the cohort has identified this as an objective of theirs.
Unfortunately, descriptions of “executive presence” vary, and few can describe how to strengthen it. Frankly, it’s a miserable label. It’s less about being an executive and more about properly projecting yourself in various situations.
Let’s demystify this concept and make it actionable and attainable. At the end of the article, I suggest some excellent expert resources on the topic.
Lessons in presence from Clarence
Clarence was the founder and CEO of our largest distributor and was revered in the industry. When he walked into a room of several hundred people, you could feel the weather changing for the better with his presence. He engaged with everyone regardless of title or rank and made you feel like you were the most important person in the room. He would work his way through a room, greeting people by name, shaking hands, and making you feel like he was thrilled to be here with you.
Sadly, we lost Clarence to cancer many years ago. Still, I’ve always pondered his ability to project his presence and make people experience him in that personal and powerful way. You mattered in your interaction with Clarence. He projected, “I’m glad you’re here!” in contrast to many senior executives who project, “I’m here, and now things can get started.” This ability was Clarence’s superpower, leading to my view on what executive presence truly is.
How others experience YOU
The key to cultivating and projecting executive presence is to deliberately decide how you want people to experience you. This starts with the person staring back at you in the mirror and requires you to think through how you want to be perceived by others.
Whether we were negotiating a business arrangement, exploring new policies or programs, or, frankly, seeking to sell more, Clarence never wavered from his “You’re here” projection. It displayed respect and defused tensions with warmth and confidence. And no one ever took his approach for weakness. On the contrary, he was the strongest person in the room all the time. Contrast that with the jerks we encounter in the workplace who work to make sure you know they have power.
So, think through how you want people to experience you. And don’t resort to the copout of, “I’m just going to be my authentic self.” Your projection of your “authentic” self is often the issue.
When your authentic self is your adversary
If you are introverted and a processor—someone who prefers to think long and hard about a topic before responding, you might find yourself at a disadvantage or overlooked in environments where more extroverted individuals fill the airtime. Your ideas might be brilliant, but what good are they if they’re not heard? Sidebar: processors are the ones who, in my experience, most frequently receive feedback on needing to strengthen their presence.
If you are combative in situations where others challenge your views (yeah, that was me), your approach might initially be considered aggressive and passionate until viewed as annoying and obnoxious. I like the verbal jousting and intellectual challenge of a good debate. It turns out this was getting in the way of my credibility and perception that I was ready to take on more responsibility.
One senior executive I know has a demeanor that seems cold and arrogant to the outsider. Once you get to know him, you realize he’s neither. His facial expressions, body language, and verbal tone are off-putting to many, and he’s had to work hard over the years to adjust his authentic approach to a warmer version.
My good colleague Anita constantly reminds me that this is challenging for females who risk being considered too soft or aggressive.
In our culturally and globally diverse workplaces, people perceive us through their cultural filters. If we’re unaware of what those filters are, how they experience us might be very different than how we want them to experience us.
Four big ideas to strengthen your presence
This is a more significant topic than a blog post. For starters, however, ask and answer:
1. How do others see you?
Seeing yourself as others do requires frank feedback. Regardless of how you think you are perceived, you are probably wrong. Several ideas include:
Ask for feedback on yourself. You can do this verbally or, ideally, give others a chance to share their input via anonymous surveys.
Gain opportunities to see yourself in action and focus on how others are experiencing/reacting to you. For some clients, we gain permission to record their meetings. It’s fascinating for them (and me as the coach) to see how they present themselves and how others react.
Recruit a swim buddy or two—individuals who regularly see you in action and whom you trust have your best interests in mind. Ask them to work with you and share their perceptions of your behaviors and the impact of those behaviors. Ask them to gauge the effect of changes.
2. What does your environment require from you?
The expectation for presence varies with the type of environment you are immersed in at a particular time.
- In a loud, extroverted environment, processors are often discounted. In a calm, thoughtful environment, your tendency to occupy all the air time works against you.
- In high-level executive or board settings, you’re evaluated for your ideas, confidence, and, frankly, why you can be trusted.
- On the factory floor or in challenging situations, people must be confident you are looking out for their safety and interests.
In your work, you are exposed to multiple environments. Learn to assess what each group needs from you and adjust and adapt accordingly.
3. What’s the persona you need to project?
In many coaching situations, the focus for individuals is much on projecting their ideas and engaging in challenging but important discussions. Perhaps your goal is to come across as knowledgeable, thoughtful, and confident. Yet, your authentic self likes to sit in the background and think through things. The feedback on you is that you’re quiet and reserved, potentially hurting your perception of you as a competent, capable contributor or leader.
It’s time to define how you want others to experience you. Try the invisible sticky-note exercise: What do you want that note on your back to say about you? (Thanks to Adam Bryant for prompting this in his book Leap to Leader.)
How do you want others to experience you that shows you in the best light?
4. What behaviors do you need to adjust?
After gaining insights into yourself and thinking through each of your workplace audiences, it’s important to begin tuning verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
- Do you need to come across as warm and open or to be viewed as confident and knowledgeable?
- Do you need to cultivate tactics to engage even though you prefer to process? (I teach my coaching clients many great tactics for this type of situation.)
- How do your non-verbal behaviors need to adjust to better support the presence you are striving to project?
And then, of course, how can you gain feedback on whether the behavior shifts are working to positively impact the perception of you?
The Bottom Line for Now:
Some individuals stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the need to manage this part of their professional selves. That’s a mistake and a limiting factor for career advancement for too many. If your boss suggests you need to strengthen your executive presence, ask for clarification on what they perceive needs to change. “What does my strengthened executive presence look like?” Seek feedback on you. Define how you want to be experienced by others, and then adjust and experiment. It’s always a good time to work on you!
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Suggested Resources;
Executive Presence—Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence, and Lead with Conviction by Joel Garfinkle
Executive Presence—The Missing Link Between Merit and Success by Sylvia Ann Hewitt
Senior Manager Program by Art Petty. (Executive Presence is one of 5 core modules in this blended cohort+coaching professional development program. Note: Joel Garfinkle is a guest expert in the program!
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