The WOW factor a.k.a. Executive Presence is in the top 5 key skills in Leadership.
It's a blend of temperament but primarily skills that together send all the right signals to make a positive impact on your environment.
Leaders know they have to embody this unique presence to think ahead, influence and perform.
But what isExecutive Presence ?
Its main features are inspiring confidence, keeping calm and staying focused under pressure. Strong verbal and non-verbal communication skills (public speaking, assertiveness, ability to engage and adapt to an audience or situation) and a tidy appearance also help secure this impactful perception.
Let's look at the 7 main features of Executive Presence together
Composure
Self-awareness and understanding others are essential components of executive presence. The ability to control your emotions, recognise emotion in others and manage your response to them is key.
Charisma
This is often achieved through strong listening skills and an ability to stay “in the moment.” The people you are communicating with know that you are solely focused on them because of the specific "attention" you're paying them at that moment. You make them feel like they matter to you.
Connection
It’s critical to engage others when communicating. So you have to be able to read and adapt to the style of others to clarify and streamline your communication.
Confidence
It's a key aspect of Executive Presence. Communicate confidence both in what you say and how you say it. Mastering non-verbal communication is crucial. That means good posture, eye contact, ensure your facial expression matches your message and that your voice has good pitch, volume, and pace. These are skills to build on to appear confident. And you have to look the part too as appearance sparks emotion so it's influential.
Credibility
The language you use and how you express yourself will impact your credibility. Filler language such as "um" and minimisers like "just," "sort of," and "this may not be a good idea but…" don't make you come across as credible. People should believe in what you say. Building your executive presence means working on your powers of conviction and persuasion.
Clarity
In terms of communication and presence, the ability to clearly communicate is fundamental so as not to lose people's attention. Think about what your message is in 10 key words. If you can’t then you're not ready to communicate it to others.
Conciseness
Being verbose kills presence. Just as it is critical to know what you want to communicate, you must be able to do it concisely. Once you’ve delivered your message and validated it, expand on what you're saying with others by asking, "What else can I share with you about this idea? " This way you stay on point and only expand on a topic with the content that your listener needs.
The good news is that the ability to positively affect the people around you, or Executive Presence, is primarily based on skills so that means it's within anyone's reach if they develop their presence with a little personal reflection, practice and coaching.
Photo: Time
