We’ve all seen it—a leader who inspires followers or an executive who walks into a room and commands attention without saying a word. Even if we haven’t met such a leader in real life, we’ve seen such people on the public stage in the form of military leaders, inspirational speakers, or even fictional characters.
And for developing leaders who may not have the executive presence they want, it can look like that strong, confident presence is something that one either has or doesn’t have—an indefinable quality that one is either “born with” or must live without.
The truth is that most leaders can develop a strong executive presence. With practice, even the most hesitant leader can project a confident demeanor and an inspirational manner.
4 basics to develop a strong executive presence
1. Appearance
Your personal appearance should be consistent with the brand and image you want to project. You don’t have to dress like you stepped out of a magazine, but your attire should convey the level of professionalism you want to model for the people you lead.
In a virtual era, appearance means a lot more than just fashion sense or hairstyle. To project a strong presence over video, make sure the way you look is consistent and supportive to the importance of the message you have to share. Is your background uncluttered? If you’re using a virtual background, is it professional and on-brand? What about lighting—does it give you a normal, professional appearance, or are you shadowed or overlit?
2. Decision Style
How do you make decisions? There are generally three ways to make a decision—consultative, directive, and consensus. Consultative involves soliciting input before making a decision, directive is making the decision on your own, and consensus is all about involving and making the decision together. All of these methods are valid, and every leader will naturally fall into using one or two more often than the others. Identify how you make decisions, and then learn when to alter your decision-making strategy to boost the quality of the outcome. Make sure you consider those who will be impacted by whatever decisions you make.
3. emotional Management
As a leader, you’re on stage. People look to you for a sense of confidence, and they expect you to be positive, especially in challenging or stressful times. Make sure your emotions don’t control you, and maintain an air of confident leadership.
It’s important to acknowledge, however, that this guidance doesn’t suggest you should lie, hide difficult news, or maintain a false sunny demeanor when people can see that times are difficult. Employees and colleagues can often detect inauthenticity or dishonesty. Rather, be as open and honest as possible, and keep a steady emotional tenor as you guide your team through storms and challenges. People want to know that the hand on the tiller is steady and competent.
4. Inspirational Capability
As a leader, your team looks to you for inspiration. How can you encourage others to believe they can accomplish the outcomes they need to meet? How can you provide them with skills, resources, encouragement, and hope? In part, this capability relies on you knowing your team and their individual needs and abilities. One team member might have personal confidence, but need additional skills, whereas another might have all the raw skills necessary for a task, but just need some personal encouragement.
A strong executive presence is not out of reach for many leaders. Start with these four basics, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a leader others are excited to follow.
