What is the relationship between executive presence and influence?
Having executive presence will dramatically expand your influence. Once you accrue a solid amount of executive presence, you’ll be appointed to positions that allow you to leverage your influence. You’ll build your credibility and expand your network as you take on these new opportunities, which will further grow your influence in turn.
How will cultivating executive presence grow your influence?
Influence is one of the 9 vital executive presence qualities, so as you cultivate executive presence, you’ll focus specifically on growing influence. Moreover, there is an interplay between influence and other executive presence competencies. Influence does not exist in a vacuum; developing other qualities like confidence, charisma, decisiveness, and insightfulness will also increase your influence.
For instance, as you lead higher-level projects, you’ll make your skills more widely known and respected. You’ll show others that you can guide a team to success, while building strong relationships with each person involved. As a result, you’ll have more influence with them as well as with senior leaders who are watching your efforts.
Likewise, as you learn to take the stage confidently and command the room, others will see your conviction in your ideas. You’ll make a strong impression on people across the organization when you speak in cross-functional groups and all-hands meetings. They’ll remember your power and presence, and your influence with them will grow.
As you convey your insights clearly and poignantly in groups, you’ll become known as a thoughtful and articulate leader, too. People will want to hear your input before moving forward with an idea.
Ways of building your influence (and executive presence)
In my book Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction, I outline clear strategies and exercises for cultivating influence. I’ll share a sampling of them here.
- Show interest in others and their ideas. Influence doesn’t just stem from promoting your own great ideas—it also comes from showing others you believe in them. Be curious about what they think and the ideas that may be brewing in their minds. Developing your emotional intelligence will help you radiate charisma and executive presence.
- Prepare ideas and talking points thoughtfully before meetings. Always go into a meeting with well-crafted input to share. You’ll develop a reputation for bringing great ideas to the table.
- Pitch innovative ideas. Don’t just stick to the status quo—push yourself to think outside of the box. You’ll become known for your ingenuity and boldness.
- Become known for solving problems. Tackle a problem that no one else has yet figured out, so your team can achieve greater success or work more efficiently.
- Tell stories that illustrate your points in a compelling way and enroll people in your vision for change. Stories have the power to persuade in a way that facts alone cannot.
- At the same time, back up your assertions with well-chosen facts. Don’t bombard listeners with too much data, but share the most key points upfront and have more in your back pocket for answering follow-up questions.
- Build a rapport with people across the organization, at all levels. Influence begins with relationships, so work to cultivate them. Your work will become more enjoyable as you genuinely get to know people, showing up as your authentic self.
How will you know you’ve grown your influence?
As you expand your influence (and executive presence), people will turn to you for advice more frequently. Not only direct reports, but also coworkers, colleagues across departments, and even superiors, will ask for your input. When someone has a big idea, they’ll want to hear your perspective on it and get your help with refining it.
When senior leaders are unveiling a new initiative, your name will immediately come to mind as a person capable of running it. As a result, you’ll receive more requests to lead high-profile projects. This will stretch your capabilities and comfort zone.
When you speak, you’ll notice that people are listening attentively. Both one-on-one and in groups, you’ll hold their attention and they’ll feel inspired by your words. Notice their body language and eye contact, which both speak volumes.
Others will get on board with your ideas and strive to carry them out effectively. People want to follow influential leaders. You’ll motivate them to push themselves further, and you’ll see them contributing more in their daily work.
For all of these reasons, executive presence and influence are intertwined. Influence is a core component of executive presence, and you’ll enhance it by developing all 9 executive presence competencies. As a result, you’ll become widely known and respected for your abilities, and new doors will open at increasingly higher levels. Moreover, you’ll have strong relationships with all those around you that allow you to lead them to success.
Grow your influence with the help of an experienced executive presence coach. Contact Joel so he can design a customized training plan tailored to your needs. Or utilize Joel’s executive presence corporate training program to help grow the development of your leaders. You can also purchase his book for your employees: Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction.
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