Why executive presence is a critical skill

Executive presence is the ability to inspire others into action. When someone has executive presence, they engender trust and confidence in others through their words, communication style and behaviour. Executive presence also requires the demonstration of good business judgment and the ability to drive execution.

A common misconception is that executive presence is all about extroversion or charisma. Yes, such characteristics can be helpful, but they are certainly not necessary. The heart of executive presence is the ability to communicate well and build trust. A charismatic, extroverted leader who lacks humility and the ability to listen well is unlikely to win respect and be seen by others as possessing executive presence.

Here are some specific reasons why executive presence is a critical skill for leaders:

1. Core attribute of leadership – in a survey of more than 350 HR professionals, 92% agreed that executive presence is an important part of leadership. When you have executive presence, you will exhibit confidence, authenticity, and emotional intelligence, and people are more likely to trust you and see you as a reliable and credible leader. As a result, assisting leaders to improve their executive presence is one of the most common requests that executive coaches receive. Where an aspiring executive already has developed this skill, it will stand them in very good stead for internal promotions or when seeking to move to a different organisation.
2. Boardroom respect and trust – CEOs and other C-Suite officers appear regularly before their organisation’s board of directors. The board will of course expect that such senior staff can demonstrate a high level of executive presence. If this is not the case, the board will be left wondering how the C-Suite officer presents themselves outside of the board room, and in particular with frontline staff, customers, regulators and the media. They will ask themselves, can we really trust this executive? Trust is crucial for building strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, which is essential for career success.
3. Persuasion and influence – a core function of any leader is being able to get people committed to a desired course of action. The best way to do this is by artfully and respectfully persuading people so that they come on the journey happily, rather than being unwillingly passengers. While there are many principles of persuasion and influence, a leader with a high level of executive presence has a strong head start.
4. Enhance your personal brand – your personal brand is how others see you. You always have a personal brand, be it good, bad or indifferent. Imagine that you are a fly on the wall listening to other people, who know you well, having a conversation about you. They are discussing your character, skills, strengths, weaknesses, ambition, commitment and competence. The summary of what they are saying is your personal brand. Your executive presence is a subset of your personal brand. The more senior you get, the more you need to improve your executive presence, so as to keep building your personal brand.
5. Dealing with conflict – let’s face it, one of a leader’s primary tasks is to sort out disputes between other people and sometimes between the leader and one of their team members. Because executive presence requires a strong grasp of appropriate communication styles in any given situation, it is a vital skill to assist with conflict resolution. When a leader is blessed with a high level of executive presence, it is likely that a conflict can be defused more quickly and respectfully than in a case where executive presence is absent.

How can you develop your executive presence? The first thing you need to do is assess your current level of this vital skill. Although we tend to be pretty good at recognising executive presence in others, we are generally less aware of our own abilities in this regard. Ask people you know and trust, for some frank feedback on your current level of executive presence. Then, identify people who you assess as having a good level of executive presence. Watch what they do closely, and develop your own approach without mimicking others. Also consider seeking advice from a mentor or coach.

As the age of artificial intelligence progresses, organisations will increasingly want and need leaders who have the right human skills to augment the machines. Having a high level of executive presence will be one of those critically important skills.

Written by Tony Frost.
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