Discovering Executive Presence: 5 Strategies To Advance Your Career

Forbes Leadership Careers Discovering Executive Presence: 5 Strategies To Advance Your Career Chris Westfall Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Business coach. Author of Easier and Leadership Language.

Following May 24, 2023, 01:21pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Executive presence: do you have it? getty Executive presence is something we all recognize when we see it, and we miss it when we don’t. But where does this mysterious “executive presence” come from, and can anyone access it? For example, is executive presence a function of personality, or experience, education or subject matter expertise? And how can you access new leadership skills, no matter where you are in your career? These five coaching strategies will help you to advance, and access greater executive presence, whether you are just starting a new job, leading a team, starting a business, or seeking a new role inside the C-Suite. The important thing to remember is that not all leaders have followers, but all leaders have a vision .

A vision that challenges the status quo, a vision that that creates growth, a vision that can generate valuable new results. Here’s how to access your vision, and share it so that you demonstrate executive presence, leadership and impact. No Experience Required : did Mark Zuckerberg have the experience of running a multi-billion dollar international organization, before he ran one? What about college dropout and billionaire, Michael Dell? These innovators, and many others, achieved executive presence not because of their experience, but because of the power of their ideas.

Innovation matters more than experience, when it comes to executive presence. Notice that executive presence doesn’t come from your past experience, it comes from the experience that you create for others. What is that experience that you are creating, right now, for your organization, your team, and your career? Executive Presence is Never More than One Thought Away: what keeps you from accessing executive presence? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that executive presence is a function of personality: being charismatic, or extroverted, or left-handed, or some kind of characteristic which you may or may not possess.

Do you care if your CEO is left- or right-handed? No. The emphasis, for any organization, is on the outcome – and that outcome starts with a single thought. That one thought that helps you to access executive presence, regardless of personality type, preference, or characteristics? “I’ve thought this through.

” Can you demonstrate that you see not just the steps and the process, but the impact? Executive presence isn’t about personality – it’s about perspective. Connection is the Key: in a leadership role, your ability to communicate is key. One of Marcus Buckingham’s early works, The One Thing You Need to Know , emphasized how leaders come in all different shapes and sizes.

But the one common characteristic is the ability to communicate clearly . To be sure, not all great leaders are great communicators, but your executive presence is elevated when you expand your communication skills. That expansion starts when you look in the direction of service.

What’s the service that you can provide? Who and what do you need, in order to really drive new outcomes? Can you connect the people and resources necessary, to advance your vision – and make an impact? Executive Presence Starts with Your Story: subject matter experts often consider their expertise as the source of executive presence. But, in a world where knowledge is everywhere, there’s a currency that matters more than just having the data and the details. After all, don’t we all know that eating donuts, or over-indulging in other unhealthy habits, is a bad idea? It’s not knowledge that keeps us from making bad choices! We know what to do.

But the difference between doing what’s needed (and chomping on a chocolate eclair) boils down to your values. Coaching can help you to identify your values, and see how your values are in evidence in your everyday life. Coaching can remind you of what you want, and what you’re truly capable of.

After all, having a story isn’t the whole story: you have to walk the talk, and lead by example, if you want to access executive presence. Access Transparency: there’s a lot of toxic positivity out there right now. Nearly 70% of workers have experienced it in some form or fashion, are you one of the?.

You know what toxic positivity is: an unhealthy emphasis on being positive and avoiding negative emotions, thoughts or situations. But, as a leader, how can you be of service if you’re living in the land of sunshine and peppermints , where rainbows reign and nothing bad ever happens? Fairy tales are fun, but not a great place to find executive presence. Instead of cooking up some unappreciated upbeat nonsense, read the room.

Say what people need to hear, not some aspirational message that’s filled with hopes and prayers when reality requires something more. Leaders aren’t afraid to brew up a big kettle of tell it like it is, and serve it piping hot. Let’s get past the positive mojo and get down to business – with an unflinching willingness to see the truth, and share it.

Don’t throw tact out the window – executive presence demands mutual respect, if you want to command respect. Be transparent, honest and real – and don’t sugar-coat the tough stuff. Executive presence isn’t reserved for the C-suite – but savvy, high-potential employees understand that communication (and coaching) is the key to executive presence.

Mentors and advice is always nice, but a dedicated coach who’s focused on your success can help you to access new skills more quickly – and help you to move forward in your career. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website or some of my other work here .

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