Taking action to cultivate executive presence will lead others to take you more seriously at work and give you access to new opportunities. This graph, from my book Executive Presence, shows what motivates leaders to improve their executive presence:
With executive presence, you’ll stand out, gain influence, get more from your team—and, of course, have the opportunity to advance.
Wondering how to improve your executive presence? These 21 ideas are each a core piece of the puzzle. Together, they’ll help you cultivate a well-rounded range of 9 executive presence qualities in the three foundational domains: gravitas, authority, and expression.
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Ask for feedback.
Keep in mind that people may not fully comprehend what executive presence means, or whether you embody it. So, ask specific questions on the 9 executive presence competencies and how you show up in different contexts. (“When I’m giving a presentation, what do I do well? Where do I have room to improve?”). The feedback you receive will help improve your executive presence.These competencies are as follows: confident, in command, charismatic, decisive, bold, influential, vocal, insightful, and clear. Learn about them before your feedback conversations, taking self-evaluations like those I share in Executive Presence. Ask about areas where you feel you struggle.
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Embrace your own vulnerability.
You will fail at times, and that’s okay. Exuding executive presence means boldly taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone. “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage,” Brené Brown says in Daring Greatly. “Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.”
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Take an authoritative stance on topics you have expertise in.
Rehearse how to speak on an agenda item you know a lot about. Eliminate qualifier and filler words (“um,” “you know,” “I think,” “I could be off base, but…”).
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When sharing ideas, give a compelling delivery.
Pepper your presentation with stories, anecdotes, and facts that pack a punch. You’ll become someone that people want to listen to, because they know what you say will be interesting.
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Take command of situations.
Keep an eye out for situations that need a strong leader—you. Watch for problems that need to be solved, projects without clear leadership, and other emerging challenges. Then volunteer to take the reins, especially when they fit into your area of expertise.
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Practice trusting your gut.
When making a decision, begin by tuning into your intuition. Start there, rather than trying to collect every relevant bit of information first. Do your due diligence, but don’t overcomplicate and delay the decision—and continue trusting your gut every step of the way.
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Defend your ideas.
When others contest them, don’t back down. Get comfortable debating them, voicing a clear rationale to support your point of view.
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Challenge the status quo.
Bring outside-of-the-box ideas to the table, demonstrating thought leadership. Your transformative ideas may have far-reaching positive effects.
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Mentor others and champion their success.
Provide guidance and advice to peers and subordinates, and speak highly of them in front of others. You’ll build your charisma as you show commitment to helping others succeed.
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Adopt techniques for staying calm under pressure.
Find go-to tactics that work for you, like taking a brisk walk before holding a difficult conversation. You’ll present yourself with poise, think more clearly, and express yourself with calm self-assurance as a result.
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Find common ground with others.
Look at where your interests overlap, and invite potential collaborations. Look across workplace divisions and levels of hierarchy.
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Build investment in your ideas.
Study what moves and motivates people, then speak to those things when telling them about your idea. Build investment strategically by approaching key influencers first to get their buy-in. Cultivate early adopters of your idea or plan who will speak of its merits to others.
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Overprepare for meetings.
Whether you’re staying silent or rambling, organizing your thoughts will enhance your participation. Come prepared with a clear rationale to back up your views on agenda items and contribute to the conversation throughout the meeting.
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Come equipped with different ways of speaking up in meetings.
It’s not just about sharing big ideas. You can also ask questions, express what you like about someone else’s idea, raise concerns, underscore the significance of a point that might otherwise get lost, state a supporting point, clarify next steps, and draw connections between ideas. If you want to quickly show how to improve your executive presence, speaking up in meetings is the best solution.
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Tell people about your accomplishments.
Frame them as your team’s wins when that’s the case. State specific outcomes, reaching out to higher-level leaders as well as your boss and those at your level, and emphasize how they benefit the organization.
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Continuously learn.
Remain curious, absorbing everything you can on topics that interest you. Stay current on research and don’t be afraid to take an interdisciplinary focus, which can spark new ideas.
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Explore outlandish ideas.
If an idea seems impossible, ask why—and what would make it feasible. Entertain new possibilities or bring them to group brainstorming sessions, even if they don’t at first seem viable. At the worst, they’ll ignite discussion!
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When speaking, begin with the main idea.
Then share your rationale—not the reverse. Put the most crucial supporting points upfront, stating them as succinctly as possible.
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Tune into how other people are feeling.
You’ll grow your emotional intelligence by paying attention to their expression, body language, and tone. This will give you invaluable feedback on how to reach them.
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Share appreciation for others.
Express exactly what you admire about their approach or skills. You’ll both build their confidence and create a strong rapport.
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Convey enthusiasm for your work.
Radiating passion for what you do will motivate those around you.
You can also reflect on some discussion questions on executive presence, which will help you assess where you stand.
Now you have a strong understanding of how to improve your executive presence, and you’re ready to act. Taking these 21 steps will help you cultivate a powerful leadership presence that supports your whole team in doing their best work. You’ll also serve as an excellent role model to those around you—including peers as well as direct reports.
You need executive presence to advance in your career and excel in your current role. Contact Joel today to launch an executive presence coaching program that will transform how you show up at work. Or bring Joel into your company to conduct 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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