Executive Presence

Learning to clearly present your ideas in every type of interaction will make people take you more seriously as a leader. You’ll more effectively give directives and share ideas with others. Senior leaders will take note of your improved self-expression and will increase their trust in you as a result. They’ll perceive you as more professional and

A recent Gartner study found that design thinking and strategic management are the two most integral “soft skills” that today’s leaders need to develop.i That means all leaders should be working to cultivate their insightfulness, in part through big-picture thinking.

Not speaking up or being concise is the quickest way to undermine your executive presence. These are the two most easily noticeable of the nine EP competencies. You really stand out when you lack them—either by being quiet and completely unknown, or by being long-winded and rambling. However, these are also the easiest to fix of all the EP qualitie

Acclaimed executive coach Marshall Goldsmith offers up a nine-step process for asking for feedforward:vii Choose a behavior you wish to change. Describe the behavior to the people whose input you’re seeking. Ask for feedforward, requesting two suggestions you can use in the future to model the desired behavior. Listen closely and take notes on thei

Confident leaders have the conviction to advocate for their ideas even in new situations that might make them uncomfortable.

“It felt pretty daunting for me when I stepped into this role myself. Just know that we’ve all been there, and we understand. But you were chosen for a reason. I’m here to support you in learning this new role, and I know you’re going to master it sooner than you might think.”

He reminded himself that he deserved to be there, as senior leaders needed his knowledge and perspective. It wasn’t a personal favor to him. It was for the good of the company. When Gunther’s turn came to speak, he eloquently delivered his message.

Radiate gravitas. Leaders with executive presence demonstrate an innate self-assurance that leads others to trust them implicitly. They exude charisma and passion for what they do, and their belief in their work acts as a powerful driving force that motivates all those around them. They step up to the plate whenever strong leadership is needed, and

If you want to lead others, you can’t just go through your daily work without an awareness of how every action and interaction comes across to them. How do they experience you? Do they view you as confident, bold, charismatic, in command, and radiating gravitas? Take a close look at all of your behaviors, asking what qualities they radiate. How doe