An executive presence quiz will give you a clear sense of how well you show up with executive presence in your work. A well-developed quiz will cover the various facets of executive presence to give you a strong understanding of your overall ability.
By taking this executive presence questionnaire, you’ll learn whether you’re showing up as a leader with executive presence —or whether you have a lot of work to do.
After taking this executive presence quiz, you can also do self-evaluations on specific executive presence competencies. In my book Executive Presence: Step into Your Power, Convey Confidence and Lead with Conviction, I share self-evaluations on each of the 9 executive presence qualities so you can learn where you most need to grow.
Executive Presence Questionnaire
Give yourself one point for each of the following statements that describes you.
- When I speak, I am longwinded and tend to share my unedited train of thought.
- I don’t present ideas persuasively to senior leaders.
- I have trouble making decisions and feeling conviction in my choices.
- I don’t naturally draw people to me and build excitement for my ideas.
- I often overanalyze what I’m going to say, and then I don’t speak up.
- I don’t feel or act equal to people at higher levels than me.
- I often get consumed by day-to-day responsibilities and don’t spend much time setting the strategic direction.
- I don’t share my full breadth of expertise and experience.
- I don’t boldly speak the truth when I know it will feel uncomfortable for others.
- In situations that lack leadership, I don’t take control and lead.
Each of the behaviors that you display in this list undermines your executive presence.
- If you’re longwinded, you’re not getting your main point across.
- If you stay quiet rather than boldly voicing your ideas, you’re diminishing your presence and contributions in group discussions.
- If you struggle to make decisions, you’re coming across as hesitant and insecure.
- And if you don’t persuade senior leaders to believe in your ideas, you’re limiting your influence.
Understanding your executive presence quiz score
What does your executive presence score represent? Here’s a quick-reference guide:
1–3: You’re masterfully displaying executive presence, at least in many situations. You will benefit from fine-tuning these competencies, but you have an excellent foundation and are probably getting noticed as a strong leader.
4–6: You may sometimes display executive presence, or a subtle form of executive presence. However, you are not fully exuding it in all situations and have room to grow. You show promise in certain areas—it’s time to develop the qualities you may be lacking!
7–10: Lack of executive presence is holding you back in your current role. To advance as a leader—or to fully excel at your current level—you urgently need to develop the core competencies of executive presence.
If you have a high score, don’t fret. Most people aren’t born with a strong executive presence, statistics show; instead, they have to grow it step by step. If you’re just starting out on that journey, you can make great strides sooner than you think.
Why you need to strengthen your executive presence
When you show up with a powerful executive presence, you’ll drive positive change in your company. People will have a greater level of respect for you and your abilities, viewing you as a capable leader with the skill to handle any challenge. (For women and people of color, having executive presence will lead others to more fully recognize your capabilities and garner the respect you deserve.) Senior leadership will probably begin grooming you for advancement, finding a prestigious place for you in the organizational succession plan. They’ll implicitly trust you to handle new challenges and greater responsibility.
If you’re already at the top, you’ll more effectively further the company vision by inspiring and motivating your team. They’ll trust and believe in your ideas and guidance. People will seek to follow your strong example to become competent leaders in their own right.
Developing executive presence is imperative to success at a high level. Work to cultivate the 9 vital qualities of executive presence to enhance how you show up on a daily basis. You can’t afford not to focus on executive presence, particularly if this executive presence quiz showed that you have much room to grow. You’ll become known for driving results, and your company leadership will take note.
Hire a top-notch executive presence coach to help you set a clear path to success. A coach will share clear strategies for success that consistently build up your skills in each dimension of executive presence. Contact Joel to get started with executive coaching or an executive presence corporate 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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