I read this definition of executive presence as the ability to walk into a room and appear as if you own the place! You can walk into any setting regardless of the caliber of people present, “read and work the room”!
Another definition of executive presence is the ability to project such confidence and gravitas or substance under pressure!
So, why do people say some people, especially women (particularly women of color), lack executive presence? I hear this statement a lot because some women do not move up the food chain at the same speed as their male counterparts!
In a 2018 Forbes article, the author states:
In its simplest terms, executive presence is about your ability to inspire confidence — inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for great achievements.
My key takeaways from this article are as follows:
- You need to have a clear vision and an ability to articulate the same
- Image matters (Remember, first impression matters a lot)!
- Communication Skills are crucial (hone in on your communication (oral/written) skills
- Practice Active Listening
- Don’t wear your feelings on your shoulders (it is not always about you)!
- Find and engage “your tribe”!
An article by DiversityInc Best Practices reiterates some of these points!
- Use open, relaxed body language (don’t look like you are mad at the entire world)!
- Active Listening (to peers, leadership) and then summarize what you understood from the speaker
- Dress the part (ties in with image)!
- Clear and concise communication
- Bring your authentic self to every situation (my paraphrase: do not speak out of both sides of your mouth)!
This quote drives home the importance of executive presence in upward mobility:
“It is executive presence—and no man or woman attains a top job, lands an extraordinary deal, or develops a significant following without this heady combination of confidence, poise, and authenticity that convinces the rest of us we’re in the presence of someone who’s the real deal. It’s an amalgam of qualities that telegraphs that you are in charge or deserve to be.”
― Sylvia Ann Hewlett
To my black sisters, we have mastered the art of reading the room, the power of reading people (we can decide who shows up in every situation)! Let’s show others how it is done! Let us walk into every corporate room with our heads up high!
In this regard, professionals of color may hold an edge. In focus groups we conducted, countless participants confirmed that being a minority is itself a relentless exercise in reading others in order to anticipate and overcome reflexive bias or unconscious resistance.”
― Sylvia Ann Hewlett
“Only by taking yourself out of the equation can you assess accurately what is important to the other person, which is the key to harnessing the power of reading people.”
― Harrison Monarth
When you have a moment, you can watch this webinar on “The Insightful Leader Live: Do You Have Executive Presence?” by Kellogg School of Management by Kellogg’s Professor Brooke Vuckovic, a clinical professor of leadership.
Thank you for hanging out with me! Dr. Abi Adeleke, you can find all my podcasts via hangingoutwithdrabi on Spotify. Please subscribe to my blog so you can get the latest posts.
