What Exactly is Executive Presence?

Executive presence isn’t a skill or a characteristic, per se. Rather, it’s a quality. Transcending self-confidence, it reflects how you show up in the world. It incorporates not only what you say, but — perhaps even more importantly — how you say it. Beyond body language, it incorporates microexpressions, eye contact, and tone of voice. Even the clothes you wear impact your executive presence. When I was studying under Fernando Flores, my mentor and one of the earliest pioneers of executive coaching, he ran me through an exercise on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. Fernando pointed at a 40-ish-year-old man in a dark suit and tie walking in our direction. My assignment was to create a story about what he did for a living and his socioeconomic background based on his gait, his clothing and how he carried himself. Next was a woman, wearing a fuchsia dress and dark sunglasses (even though it was cloudy) who rushed passed us. Per my assignment, I created story after story. Many of these passersby were kind enough to tell us if I was right in my assumptions when Fernando stopped and told them about the exercise. My first few attempts were off the mark — by a long shot — until Fernando coached me to notice the subtle nuances. To be fair, I learned how to judge a book by its cover. And to be realistic, it’s what people tend to do in everyday life, particularly when it comes to forming impressions of those in leadership roles.

3 Ways to Develop Executive Presence

Executive presence doesn’t magically envelop you when you become a leader. The good news: it’s a quality that you can develop rather quickly.

1. Cultivate awareness — One of the ripple effects of our ever-increasing lives is that we rush through our days and our interactions with others, failing to really notice the subtleties. Slow down and start to pay attention to the nuances. When you think of a strong leader — real or a fictional character on Netflix — what is it about their manner that exudes executive presence?

2. Fake it till you make it — The impostor syndrome thrives among leaders, especially women, who attribute their success more to luck than to merit. When you breathe deeply, adjust your posture — shoulders back, chin up — or maintain soft eye contact during a difficult conversation, you change your physiology, and are retraining your brain. By acting in a confident manner, you actually become more confident.  

3. Build internal alignment — True executive presence is rooted in how you perceive yourself. With your newfound awareness, identify areas you need to work on to develop greater trust in yourself, to achieve mastery or simply to feel a greater level of self-confidence. What are the thoughts that drive your moods and influence your behaviors? When you shift to a mindset characterized by positive — rather than negative — self-talk, the results can be game-changing.