Beyond the Corner Office: The New Leadership Voices CEOs Can’t Afford to Ignore

You’ve climbed the ranks, put in the work, and now you’re in the C-suite. Your words carry weight, your decisions shape the company’s future, and your presence commands attention.

But is yours the only voice worth listening to?

In my work as an executive coach to business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives in 30+ countries, I often see that operating in the C-suite can be accompanied by a soothing ambient sound known as complacency. One client joked that complacency was piped through the HVAC system – a constant hum of agreement and cheers, reinforcing that he was on the right track.

When you combine this phenomenon with confirmation bias, innovation stalls, mindsets become fixed rather than growth-oriented, and companies risk missing critical industry trends. This raises an important question: Are we overlooking valuable voices – voices with fresh insights and perspectives – simply because they aren’t sitting at the front of the room?

Traditional executive presence is outdated 

Maybe you were raised under the same narrative as I was: if you look and sound the part, people will take you seriously. They will endorse your ideas, act on your recommendations, and offer you the corner office when you achieve the qualities of executive presence that embolden leaders to lead.

Today, influence isn’t about a power suit or a polished script. Think of Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck or Mark Zuckerberg’s hoodie – what mattered wasn’t their wardrobe but their vision and impact. Many of today’s most effective leaders break conventional molds, proving that leadership presence is about authenticity, not optics.

There is evidence today of business leaders who aren’t the most eloquent or rehearsed but are moving industries with their vision. Take Elon Musk, for example – his public speaking is often unpolished, his delivery sometimes awkward, yet his ability to disrupt industries like automotive, space exploration, and AI is undeniable. How are we explaining his influence when he isn’t checking the traditional boxes on the executive presence scorecard?

Across industries, a new leader is emerging with the enthusiasm of an NFL team taking the field on Superbowl Sunday. While traditional models of leadership mapped closely to ideals of executive presence, command, and control, and “because I said so” management, today we see someone different.

As I write in my new book, “The New Rules of Influence,” leaders today should recognize that times have changed, and this is a good thing for all involved:

Many of us have been … taught to wear the right clothes; pause at the right moments; project stoicism, resisting displays of emotion (“don’t cry at work!”); and write our messages out in advance to ensure we hit all the key talking points in perfectly timed choreography. Today, we’ve lost the humanity in our voice, the ability to connect with others; we’ve forgotten how to authentically build trust across communities (or even inside our organizations) to create truly sustainable influence where it matters. The old rules for executive presence don’t work anymore.

Positional authority is outdated 

As dress codes shifted away from red power ties and nylon pantyhose (thank goodness!) we’re also seeing influence moving from the front of the room to the back. Previously, we waited our turn to contribute. We “spoke when spoken to” as our parents first instructed, and our boss’ later confirmed. Unless you had the title and rank, you sat on your hands and hoped somehow things might change.

Positional authority is attached to the role, not the person. It does not indicate someone’s leadership abilities, personality, or the sustainability of their personal brand. It empowers someone with a title or rank to make certain decisions.

In many organizations I work with, those without titles or rank are driving significant influence – offering insights that shift entire strategies. Influence is no longer tied to hierarchy but to ideas and execution. Today, the reliance on rank is seen as less credible and impactful, and the individual’s ability to influence is driven more by their clarity around why they want to lead, understanding of who they are leading (bringing a service mindset earns bonus points here!) and how and where they show up. Today, someone can offer important – game changing – influence when they barely started up that corporate ladder. How amazing is this!?

What can you do? 

Resist the temptation to just listen to the voices that nod fervently as you speak, who applaud on cue, and never question your ideas. Seek out differing ideas, people who will play devil’s advocate, and will share how your vision aligns with their values, experiences, and community – particularly if that’s not the same ones you attach to.

Seek out the quiet voices in the room—the ones holding back, debating whether to speak. Ask them, ‘How does this vision work for you? What’s missing?’ Then, listen. What they say could be the missing piece you didn’t know you needed.

Written by Lida Citroën.
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