Executive Presence & Leadership Presence Exercises

By cultivating a strong executive presence, you’ll achieve more in your current role—whatever level you’re at. And if you aspire to move up in the organizational hierarchy, executive presence will make you a strong contender for any position. Whether you’re at the top of the ladder or vying for your first leadership role, these executive presence exercises will help you develop the crucial qualities that every leader needs to possess.

7 Executive Presence Exercises to Elevate Your Leadership Presence

1. Read over the meeting agenda and prepare your thoughts.

   Jot down notes about the contributions you want to make for each topic. Consider whether you have an important topic to add to the agenda, too. Do you have an announcement to make about your project, or a new initiative to propose?

   • Set a goal for how many times to speak up.
     
   • Pinpoint which agenda items relate to your area of expertise. Come up with ways to chime in on them, drawing from your experience and expertise.
   • Read an article related to one of the agenda items.

You’ll then go in feeling confident and prepared, equipped with relevant points to share.

2. Unpack your decision-making process.

   Even if you don’t realize you have a process, you have one. It just might not be the most effective process (or an intentionally designed one). What steps do you take when making a decision? If you’re like many people, your process may look like this:

   • Put it on the back burner for several days.
     
   • Anxiously ask everyone else what they think.
   • Stew about it during meetings instead of paying attention to what’s going on. (But be careful to avoid taking a stance.)
   • Ask someone else what to do.
   • Hesitantly voice the decision, then back-peddle when someone disagrees with it.
   • Repeat.

Does your process look something like that? It’s time for a new one. Design a step-by-step process to replace your old, ineffective one. It could look something like this:

• • Spend one to two hours perusing relevant information (articles, news reports, analysis). Write down your initial thoughts about the potential decision after reading through this info.
  • Identify three people with the most insight to share in this area. Gather them together to discuss the decision. Create a specific time limit, depending on the gravity of the decision. Twenty minutes might be fine for some decisions, while a major decision may require an hour.
  • Reflect on everything you’re learned. Remind yourself that leaders never have complete information before making a decision, and that action is usually better than inaction.
  • Make a decision and voice it confidently, articulating your rationale. Stand by it and clearly answer any questions about it.

3. Practice reading the room during a meeting.

   Rather than just looking at the person who’s speaking, glance around the room at everyone’s faces. How does their eye contact, body language, and facial expression change depending on the speaker’s words and energy? What gets their attention, and what leaves them feeling bored or annoyed? When you’re speaking, take notice of these things too. This will all help cultivate your emotional intelligence, so you can begin to influence how others perceive you in meetings and other interactions.

4. Have a conversation with three new people this week, striving to learn from their perspectives.

   Identify three people who have something to teach you. Look for those in different functions or levels who can share a fresh perspective. This will benefit you (and your colleagues) in three ways:

   • You’ll educate yourself about different areas of the business.
     
   • You’ll expand your influence by building new relationships.
   • You’ll encourage cross-pollination of ideas, and you may end up with new insights.

Ask questions about what they do and how you can better support them, voicing appreciation for their work. As you build trust, you might also discuss potential collaborations or ideas for improving workflow processes.

5. Block out time for strategic thinking.

   Having trouble thinking of big, bold ideas that can drive change? Block out a regular weekly time for strategic thinking and reflection, putting it into your calendar. Big ideas will rise to the surface when you give yourself space to think creatively.

   Shut your door and turn off all distractions during your strategic thinking time. You can use one of these prompts to get the creative juices flowing:

   • Name a completely absurd idea that would really shake things up. Why is it impractical? Continue asking “why” until you arrive at the root of the issue. Then question whether that assumption is really true. What would need to change in order to implement the idea?
     
   • Write down five ideas you’ve had or heard about over the past week. Freewrite about each one for five minutes, jotting down all your thoughts about it. What makes it promising? How could you implement it? New ideas may rise to the surface as you consider these possibilities.

6. Block out time for strategic thinking.

   How can you utilize your skills in a new way? Identify opportunities like these:

   • Leaders who may need your assistance with an initiative.
     
   • A problem that needs solving.
   • Colleagues who may want to grow a skill you possess.
   • A new initiative your boss has presented that needs a strong leader.
   • A good idea you could pitch to your boss or other leaders.

Then, choose one of these options and give it your best effort. Mentor a colleague who would benefit from your expertise, or use your knowledge to enhance a prestigious project. As you support others’ work and tackle more ambitious challenges, you’ll make a name for yourself as a leader.

7. Show your passion for what you do.

   Tap into what you love most about your work. Write down 10 things you enjoy or appreciate about your job, big or small. Reflect on why you love those aspects of your work.

   As you go through your day, try to convey enthusiasm for those things. Mention to your colleagues that you just love having the chance to regroup as a team at the start of the day. Affirm how your team’s work furthers the organizational vision. And simply let your excitement for your work radiate as you pursue a project you love. When you remind yourself of what drives you, and what you appreciate, it will shine through.

All of these leadership presence exercises will help executives to step outside of their comfort zone and start building the presence and influence of a powerful leader. You’ll forge stronger relationships, promote your great ideas, and make decisions boldly. As a result, people will start to view you as a leader with executive presence.

Support from an experienced coach will greatly enhance your efforts to develop executive presence. Contact Joel to initiate an executive presence coaching program or an executive presence training program tailored to your specific needs. You can also purchase his book for your employees Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction.