Paul hesitantly walked toward Kevin’s office, unsure why a superior three levels above him had invited him into his office. Should he be concerned or excited? His anxiety brewed. Kevin was just one level below the CEO of their multi-billion-dollar biotechnology company, and Paul had never formally met with him before, let alone been invited to his office. His heart beat faster, and he wanted to turn around.
Kevin jumped right in by saying that Paul’s performance, talents, and overall track record were all excellent. “You are great at what you do, and you’re a high-potential leader that top management has its eyes on,” he said. Elated, Paul started to completely relax. He even thought, maybe he’s wanting to give me my boss’s job.
Without Executive Presence, Leaders Success Comes to Halt
Then, Kevin said something that really shook Paul up. “This conversation isn’t about today; it’s about your future,” he began. “Without executive presence, your career success will come to a halt and you will not continue to thrive at this company.”
Paul was in shock. He had never received feedback like this before. “It’s not just you,” Kevin assured him. “When I’m talking with other executives about who has what it takes for advancement, it’s apparent that most of our next-level leaders lack executive presence.”
Working With an Executive Coach Helps Paul Advance
He saw himself in Paul, he continued, and he encouraged Paul to work with an executive coach to grow his executive presence. Kevin recommended me, and we utilized the 3×3 Executive Presence Model outlined in my book Executive Presence for six months of coaching.
Paul had been missing opportunities to truly build a rapport with colleagues throughout the company, we learned. By networking and cultivating relationships, he could open the door to high-profile collaborations that would deepen his contributions to the company. He had some great ideas brewing, but he simply couldn’t put them into action alone. So, he started asking colleagues in other functions to discuss ideas. He asked them how he could better support them, too, which they appreciated.
Further, Paul needed to assertively take the reins when the opportunity to lead a project arose, projecting a commanding executive presence. When a problem was perplexing his boss, he confidently volunteered to solve it. When he had the capacity to tackle a high-profile project that fit his skill set, he volunteered without hesitation. As he took action in these ways, Paul broadened his influence while expanding his knowledge of different divisions of the company.
What Paul Achieved from Executive Presence Coaching
At the end of the coaching engagement, I asked Paul what results had surprised him the most. Here’s what he said:
- “My confidence immediately began to soar.”
- “I felt much more in command.”
- “I became more decisive and could make bolder decisions without self-doubt.”
- “I showed conviction in my ideas.”
- “I became more direct in my communication and began expressing myself without hesitation.”
He hadn’t expected all this to occur. He learned not only how to act like a leader with executive presence, but how to feel like one.
Paul’s Became a Leader with Impactful Executive Presence
Paul’s executive presence began to shine in the first month of coaching. He led two impressive collaborative efforts that brought together staff from several departments. Senior leaders commented on his masterful skill at leading these projects. After six months, he became a vice-president. Within a year, he was already being groomed for a senior vice-president role because he now had such a high degree of executive presence competency.
Due to Paul’s success, the company hired me to conduct executive presence trainings for all the next-level leaders who lacked executive presence. I led two to three programs a year, depending on the number of leaders who needed to prepare for advancement. Every time I conducted the training, I brought Paul in to share his story, showing why executive presence is vital for leaders.
Like Paul, you can begin cultivating executive presence by working with an executive coach to identify where you’re falling short. Of the 9 core competencies of executive presence, which ones do you most need to grow? Paul realized he needed to grow his influence and become more commanding. While these weren’t his only areas for growth, they were two main ones that we zeroed in on. No matter how charismatic he was with the people he interacted with closely—or how clear he was when sharing ideas—if he wasn’t pushing himself outside of his comfort zone by networking and seizing new opportunities, he would continue to hold himself back. Fortunately, he successfully turned his weak points into strengths and then achieved impressive professional growth—and you can too.
Ready to start your executive presence journey? Contact Joel to get started with executive coaching or an executive presence training program. 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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