What Is Executive Presence,
and How Do You Get It?

What is executive presence—and do you have it? If you don’t, how can you get it?

You can’t realize your full potential as a leader without executive presence. As you rise up in your organization, executive presence becomes more and more critical. The higher the stakes, the more you need that power and presence.

That’s where the Executive Presence Model comes in. It shows the specific traits and behaviors leaders must master to command a room, influence decisions, and inspire confidence.

Organizations also need their leaders to take full command of their executive presence. Effective leaders who drive results and rally their teams radiate an undeniable executive presence.

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What Is Strong Executive Presence?

When a leader with strong executive presence speaks, people listen, feel inspired, and know that person has command of the room. They speak with conviction, confidence, and certainly.
Strong executive presence is what gives the best leaders their persuasive power, the respect of everyone in their company, and the ability to influence people at all levels—no matter what position they hold.

All leaders with executive presence have a handful of key executive presence qualities in common, such as these:
• Confidence
• Charisma
• Decisiveness
• Boldness
• Insightfulness
• Powerful, clear speech

Do you see these qualities within yourself in certain situations?

If you have executive presence, you have an aura that draws others to you. You might also think of it as a magnetism or charisma. You’re a compelling force inside your organization and team. When you speak, people listen, feeling inspired and uplifted. You convey confidence, command respect, make an impact, provide value, and get noticed.

You may also have a nascent executive presence that reveals itself in certain contexts. Even if you haven’t yet cultivated executive presence, you may have particular qualities that make up an important part of the whole picture. You can leverage those qualities to begin projecting executive presence.

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Why Do You Need Executive Presence?

Leaders who acquire the essential traits of executive presence become the elite performers who influence outcomes, contribute to major decisions, and drive change for the betterment of the company. They transform self-doubt and uncertainty into self-assurance, energy, and the conviction needed to successfully navigate the corporate landscape and advance to the upper levels of the organizational hierarchy.

A leader with executive presence is a compelling force inside the organization. They don’t rely on authority or title to shape outcomes, but rather, on their influence. Their words compel people to action. Their presence motivates and inspires. Their team is fiercely engaged in their work because they believe in their mission and their leader.

Executive presence is also a prerequisite for higher-level positions. You may still be able to do a good job in your current role without executive presence. But how much farther could you go by becoming a truly influential leader with a strong executive presence? Cultivate executive presence to advance into those senior leadership roles. Developing executive presence is your secret to success. Fulfilling your potential begins here.

Executive Presence – What Is It Why, You Need It and How to Get It?

Think about your peers, your bosses, other executive-level leaders, famous people, and your friends. Who has EP? Who doesn’t? The ones with executive presence draw others to them naturally. People gravitate to them and want to impress them.

What Does Powerful Executive Presence Look Like in Practice?

Leaders with an executive presence excel in all of the following ways:
• Bring power, conviction, and a clear point of view to their presentations.
• Carry themselves with confidence and feel sure of their abilities when engaging in high-level meetings with customers and senior leaders.
• Present a polished and poised appearance that creates immediate credibility.
• Gain the confidence and respect of their supervisors and customers.
• Communicate with authority by eliminating weak language like qualifiers and diminishing statements.
• Make their points with clear, precise language that ensures others grasp their meaning.
• Deliver presentations with compelling language and memorable stories.
• Get right to the point in emails and other written correspondence, being brief, not burying the lead, and using polished language.

At first glance, executive presence may seem like a mysterious quality that some have and others don’t. However, as this list of executive presence capabilities shows, you can grow your EP step by step in clear, concrete ways.

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How Can You Develop Your Executive Presence?

You can cultivate executive presence through training and practice, focusing on the areas outlined below.

/01

Strengthen Your Gravitas.

Project confidence, decisiveness, and composure under pressure. People trust leaders who stay calm, think strategically, and communicate authority even in high-stakes situations.

/02

Communicate With Clarity and Impact.

Avoid filler words and tentative language. Speak with confidence, brevity, and conviction so your message lands powerfully with executives, boards, and teams.

/03

Build Visibility Across the Organization.

Use Joel’s PVI Model (Perception, Visibility, Influence). Make your value visible by speaking up in meetings, sharing insights, and ensuring your contributions are noticed by decision-makers.

/04

Solicit and Act on Feedback.

Perception shapes executive presence. Actively seek feedback on how others experience you, then adjust behaviors so you control the narrative of your leadership brand.

/05

Shift Your Mindset From Intimidated to Equal.

Stop deferring to titles or authority. View yourself as a peer to senior executives. That mindset shift transforms how you show up, ensuring you’re seen as a confident, commanding presence.

Articles

25 Must-Read Articles on
Executive Presence

Want to begin developing your executive presence? Explore expert insights from Joel Garfinkle on
confidence, communication, gravitas, and more.

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