Boost Your Executive Presence for More Credibility

It’s no secret that there are stage gates that you need to surpass in the corporate world to move onward and upward. One of those gates is learning to role model executive presence  —  when you flex this skill you build credibility with others which opens new opportunities and upward progression. That means larger scope, bigger pay bonuses, and percentage increases in your salary.

You need executive presence to advance in your career, and it becomes more important with each leadership rung you pursue up the corporate ladder. 

Two data points that solidify this notion in the real world:

• Among the top 20 leadership traits, executive presence was second on the list per a survey by Gartner.

• A study by the Center for Talent Innovation (now Coqual) found that executive presence accounted for 26% of what it takes to get promoted.

Now it’s obvious, establishing executive presence is a MUST if you want to keep moving on up.

The elusive, most common question is “What is it and how do I get it? 

What is Executive Presence? 

Let’s look at executive presence in two ways: When you have it and when you don’t.

When you don’t have executive presence it feels a lot like this:

• Being stuck at a level
• Not sure why you’re not getting opportunities like your co-workers
• Not proactively sought out by leadership
• Being overlooked and you’re unsure why
• Having the skills but still being passed up
• Trying harder, but still not getting the job

And sounds like this from others:

• “Despite your good performance, you just aren’t ready for a promotion.”
• “You have great experience, you’re just not what we’re looking for.”
• “I know you want a promotion, but to be honest, there are others in line ahead of you.”
• “I’m giving you what’s recommended from HR for your bonus, this is not a message.”
• “You’re doing all the right things, but you’ll have to wait until it’s your time.”

…you’ll quickly start thinking back on situations and your experience trying to find the reason you’re not leveling up. Worse yet, you may actually believe them, and wait it out.

When you’re not able to convey executive presence, you lose credibility. It halts your career advancement and closes the door on highly-visible opportunities. 

When you have executive presence it looks like this:

• Reassurance that you’re doing your best work through monetary awards
• Asked to participate in a project that impacts the whole department
• Speaking parts in an executive meeting
• Despite you passing on an opportunity, leadership keeps pursuing you
• Peers are quick to seek your feedback and advice

And sounds like this from others:

• “I have to call you out, your delivery was on point.”
• “I remember when I first met you, I knew you were a go-getter.”
• “I always feel supported and heard when I talk to you.”
• “You’re always smiling and positive, your energy is inspiring.”
• “I was excited to see your name on that promotion, you deserve it.”

A common theme you will notice with the scenarios above is that executive presence is about the way you carry yourself  —  in the way you tackle each day, how you respond to moments that matter with others, the feelings people have after they interact with you, and in the way you work under pressure during stressful times.

When you carry yourself at work through those moments smoothly, you’re utilizing your executive presence skills by demonstrating to those around you that you’re confident, they can trust you to make good decisions, and you can be taken seriously.

Each email you write also sends a message about your executive presence. Read Also: 7 Confidence Busting Words to Keep Out of Your Email

To have a strong executive presence is to be consistent in your presence, behavior, and actions. The term gets its name from the business executives and higher-ups that it emulates. Celebrities, though, can also emulate these traits. Let’s take a closer look at the leader’s who exude executive presence.

Leaders Who Exude Executive Presence

A helpful way to grasp the concept of executive presence, is to visualize it by viewing leaders in the market who exude it. Primarily because executive presence begins with how others perceive you because as a leader, people observe and evaluate you.

When you have an executive presence, you’re able to draw people in  —  to your vision, to your plan, to the hard work required to get the job done. You’re able to inspire others by your words and actions. Many CEOs and celebrities fall in this category. They influence those around them, further radiating their ability to create and achieve even bigger wins.

Satya Nadella, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft

Satya is able to leverage multiple facets in his leadership style. Two that stand out in terms of executive presence and his approach to leadership — empathy and technical knowledge. He’s emphatically driven as he shows true care for those around him, and it’s brought to light in how others speak about him. Satya’s technical background enables him to inspire confidence in the industry and inspire his customers to follow his vision, the one that he believes to be the right one.

Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host, Producer, and Philanthropist

Oprah has a unique approach in how she makes people feel as if they are the only one in the room she is speaking to. It’s a deeper connection that transpires because she actively listens with the intent of understanding. It enables her to be a true conversationalist. When you give space for someone to feel heard, it builds trust that transcends into influence.

Because these leaders are also celebrities in their own right, executive presence may feel out of reach for the average person. But, that can’t be further from the truth.

The good news — executive presence can be learned.

It’s a skill, not a trait people have automatically. This means you can learn how to radiate the characteristics in your everyday interactions to show-up as the leader you truly want to be. 

Benefits of Establishing Your Executive Presence

When you boost your executive presence there’s a natural link to also boosting your credibility. In corporate, credibility is so important, its value is as good as cash. 

Below are 4 scenarios that highlight the significance of establishing your executive presence, and how a strong or weak credibility impacts your career trajectory.

Affords you leadership roles on visible projects. 

Scenario: Your manager has to deliver 2X more sales in Q3. During your 1:1 with your manager, you seek to understand more about the goal you heard in the All Team meeting. You listen, and thoughtfully respond that you would like to help drive the team towards this goal. It opens your manager’s mind to the thought of having you as an active player, an influencer and driver to get the goal achieved. 

If your credibility is established, your manager will quickly respond asking about your available capacity to take a leadership role. 

If your credibility has gaps, your manager will mention that everyone on the team will have a key role in working towards achieving the goal.

Your backstage pass to behind-the-scenes discussions.

Scenario: Your second level leader is seeking feedback. When you check your email you see a note that was sent to the organization about an issue from your second level leader. 

If your credibility is established, your opinion will be sought out; your second level leader or your manager will reach out to a small select group of people, including you, to form a tiger team to solve the problem behind-the-scenes. 

If your credibility has gaps, you won’t hear any more on the issue until the news is emailed out to the organization – your input won’t be included in the solution.

Unlocks opportunities outside of your scope and above grade level.

Scenario: Your leadership team is discussing this year’s priorities. The leadership team rolls-out priorities to the organization. You see opportunities where you could use your strengths and also ways you could lean-in to grow your skills. 

If your credibility is established, you have an open door to leadership to pitch the opportunity you see to gain their support for you to play a key role, even though it’s out of your day-to-day job responsibilities and above your current grade level.

If your credibility has gaps, you will have been presented with organization priorities that align fully with your day-to-day focus that is in support of your direct manager’s goal – and your current grade level.

Your fast track to being respected and admired.

Scenario: You have an idea and need to make a pitch. You have an idea that will help you achieve a business goal you’re working towards and it will be the first time the org has invested in something like you’re proposing. You need your peers and your leadership to buy-in before you can move forward.

If your credibility is established, when you start to vocalize your idea in 1:1 meetings to get feedback to make your idea even better, something else happens. You get offers from peers and leadership team members to partner with you in bringing the idea to life. They’re already raising their hand to work with you, represent the new concept, and be the working horses trying to get it setup for success.

If your credibility has gaps, you will face more barriers than you will have of support. You will lack the ability to be taken seriously and you won’t be able to get the attention you need on your idea. 

Lasting Thoughts

Exuding executive presence goes above and beyond what you’ve traditionally heard around appearance being the ‘magic bullet’ behind success. It’s the combination of exuding executive presence and having strong credibility that makes a positive or negative impact on your career progression. 

How are those scenarios above playing out in your work life?

Move on from being passed up for opportunities (even though you have the skills) by shifting to your inner work by thinking about how you carry yourself at work everyday in every interaction. 

Gain executive presence to boost your credibility and unlock opportunities outside of your scope and above your grade level.

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