Executive Presence: How to get "it"
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Do you have “Executive Presence?”
Lack of executive presence is a key reason cited for delaying promotions from Senior Manager into executive roles.
Executive Presence is at least:
Being seen as an authoritative figure. This doesn't mean "the person in charge", but rather someone important to listen to. Someone with knowledge or information.
Being seen as decisive. Able to take action and clear barriers.
Being seen as influential. Able to create alignment and inspire others.
Notice I say "being seen as."
This is critical.
On a math test, you are either right or wrong.
But Executive Presence is assessed by others.
Some elements are basic such as “Actually speaking up.” You do not have to dominate a room, but it will be hard to display Executive Presence without speaking.
Once you speak, the elements of effective public speaking come into play…but Executive Presence is more than public speaking.
It is also different than influence. Some people are influential behind the scenes but lack presence in a room.
The bottom line: Executive Presence is poorly defined, poorly understood, and yet highly desired.
If you want to go deeper, I recommend you watch the video recording of my talk with Harriette Cole: leadership coach and media trainer to Fortune 100 executives and Grammy-winning music artists such as Alicia Keys and Queen Latifah.
The best book I’ve found on the topic is Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO because it is specific and action-oriented.
Readers, I do not believe there is one consensus definition of Executive Presence. How do you answer:
What is Executive Presence to you?
What clearly shows that someone does/does not have EP?
How can you develop it?
If you’re looking for help growing in your organization and leveling up your career, consider my course, Stuck at Senior Manager - How to Break Through to Executive, which includes a module dedicated to Executive Presence.
If you’re already in executive roles (e.g. Director, Sr. Director, VP) and want to optimize performance or move up further, consider my course, Cracking the C-suite 'How to Get and Master Key Executive Roles' which I co-teach with Sue Bethanis (Executive Coach & CEO/Founder of Mariposa Leadership) who has coached 400+ tech executives.
Audience Insights
Additional ideas worth considering from my LinkedIn audience:
“The desire to demonstrate executive presence explains roomfuls of senior managers speaking volumes but saying nothing of real value. Everyone of them has to say “something,” to be seen, even if they are regurgitating the same ideas. There is real value in thoughtful leaders who cut through the noise and succinctly and crisply express themselves. That typically manifests itself in the decisive action and influence that you mentioned, but it doesn’t have to be boisterous. This is a great form of EP (Executive Presence). And since EP is assessed by others based on the corporate culture, an important question for senior leaders is: what do they want executive presence to look like for their organization?” — David Markley (VP of Technology, Warner Bros. Discovery)
What is considered EP probably varies by what is modeled at each company. We certainly see this where some companies tolerate yelling and outbursts as leadeship and some would punish that as misbehavior.
“I look at EP as more of an output (as you eluded to) with several underpinning soft and hard skills that power it. These can be things such as influence, effective communication, knowing your domain well etc.” — Omar Halabieh (Tech Director, Amazon)
This is a good way to look at it, Output rather than Input. For those not from Amazon...lots of companies want more sales, or more revenue... but those are Outputs. Things you cannot directly control. Inputs are things you can control. Bezos had the idea that people always want lower prices, better selection, and faster delivery, and those were things he could control (sign up more vendors, lower overhead, build warehouses closer to customers). When you improve the inputs, you get the desired output (more people buy). I think Omar is right about EP. You can learn to control how you speak, how you respond to questions, etc. The sum total of those controllable things results in EP.
Christina Beatty (Software Development Manager, AWS) recommends the book Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers (I added it to my reading list).
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Executive Presence 2.0: Leadership in an Age of Inclusion, breakdowns EP as:
60% Gravitas - How you act.
30% Communication - How you communicate.
10% Appearance - How you appear - smallest weight but the first filter with which Gravitas and Communication is evaluated.
"I've got this" is a good way to characterize the gut reaction to EP. Maybe on the inspirational side, "We've got this."
A great 2-word summary: "Being seen." I once defined influential in part as "People seek you out on matters that do not involve you because they want you involved." That is real influence, when you are brought in because you are valued.
Control of emotions (“Poker Face”) is component of EP. If you show panic, your team will panic.
Connect With Ethan
Level Up is your source for career growth solutions & community by retired Amazon Vice President, Ethan Evans.
In my career I frequently took unpopular actions publicly, invited productive conflict about what I'd decided, and was willing to change my mind. The result was greater respect and "presence" whether or not others agreed with me! Now I coach people to take "adverse possession" to advance themselves and their ideas quickly. The key is not just how you carry yourself but what you're carrying -- do you agree Ethan?