 | In my May 2025 blog, I discussed executive presence: What it is and why that type of presence makes savvy leaders stand out. My first five tips included creating and running clear meetings, providing timely feedback, gracefully course correcting, recognizing hidden agendas, and displaying emotional intelligence. Impactful leaders seem to effortlessly do those things and more that help people feel that they’re part of the team, walk away energized, and know that their leader has their back. |
Here are some additional strategies that can help you take your presence to the next level:
Executive Presence (Part 2) Strategies
- Look the part - Feeling good about your appearance helps you exude confidence. While social norms regarding clothing in the business world have evolved due to the rise of remote work or hybrid situations, someone who looks put together and intentional about their professional appearance will stand out. We know that people create their first impressions of new people within the first few seconds of seeing them. You want to exude the look of professionalism and confidence. Can you think of a favorite outfit you wear that makes you feel good? Is it the look, feel, colors, or practicality that provides you with energy? How can you duplicate that feeling in other pieces or styles that you wear? I encourage you to take a look at your closet and pick out your favorite pieces. Integrate them into your professional look to make the best possible impression. Your air of confidence may be accompanied by a smile, confident posture, and warm and genuine eye contact to make a memorable impression.
- Self-Reflection - There is a difference between second-guessing yourself and thoughtful reflection. Self-reflection helps you become more self-aware by allowing you to assess your values and emotions. It can help you figure out what motivates you and what drags you down and define how you tackle hard situations or solve problems.
Some significant self-reflection questions could be:
Building some quiet time into your day is paramount for creating the habit of reflection. You may have a fitness routine into which reflection could be built. Maybe it’s during your daily drive to work or right away in the morning when you have your coffee. Some people prefer to combine journaling with their reflections, while others want to engage in discussions. I, on the other hand, prefer to wrestle with and settle things in my mind. The most significant part is to consistently push yourself to be present in the moment. We can learn from the past, and there will always be a future, but the present is the most essential time. Are you spending it in a way that fills our bucket and helps you fulfill the purpose of your life?
- What am I most proud of recently?
- What’s one thing I need to let go of?
- What do I want more of in my life? Less of?
- What would future me thank me for starting today?
Building some quiet time into your day is paramount for creating the habit of reflection. You may have a fitness routine into which reflection could be built. Maybe it’s during your daily drive to work or right away in the morning when you have your coffee. Some people prefer to combine journaling with their reflections, while others want to engage in discussions. I, on the other hand, prefer to wrestle with and settle things in my mind. The most significant part is to consistently push yourself to be present in the moment. We can learn from the past, and there will always be a future, but the present is the most essential time. Are you spending it in a way that fills our bucket and helps you fulfill the purpose of your life?
- Build your skills - We are never done learning, and I don’t feel anybody can ever say they know everything about something. One thing I consistently tell people is that even when you think you know a lot about something, continuing to learn how people react or interact with that “thing” will always be different. We can always learn from those experiences.
- Continuously learning as times change helps bring relevance to your work. In the field of technology, we can rarely say that something is the same. Being curious often leads to learning. How many times in your day do you say, “I wonder why…” Instead of just wondering, take that extra step to turn your wonder into a learning experience. In the past, learning may have involved enrolling in courses that required in-person attendance or visiting the library to access resources. However, we can now find an answer to our questions almost immediately through our technical resources.
- Take the time to continue to learn and build your skills. It will keep you relevant and resilient through changing times. You can diversify your knowledge by finding areas where you feel you have gaps and filling them. Being a new learner is both humbling and invigorating when you recognize that you have a lot to learn and can eventually look back to see how much you’ve gained and evolved due to your new learning.
- Practice those new skills - Learning new things is not as relevant until we can apply our new knowledge. Seek out places where you can use your new skills. Recognize that you may not feel confident at first in those new settings but give yourself the grace to learn and not be right all the time. For some, this feeling may bring discomfort, and you may want to retreat. I encourage you to lean into the learning and watch yourself as you tackle new challenges. When does the discomfort subside? Why did it subside? What purposeful things did you do to get yourself through those areas of discomfort? It’s when you get through those tough spots that you realize that your learning has served you well. The invigoration and satisfaction of learning and practicing those new skills can help you get closer to your purpose and life fulfillment.
- Build alliances - Once you’ve learned those new skills, put yourself into situations where you can use those skills. You may find that you’re making yourself vulnerable during that time, but that’s okay. Part of building executive presence is recognizing that you don’t know it all and drawing in those who do have expertise. This is building alliances. We are never strongest when we are alone, but when we’re together and have built a network of skilled and articulate colleagues, we have positioned ourselves to succeed.
Executive presence isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up with intention, staying grounded in your values, and constantly growing into the leader you want to be. As you practice these strategies, you’ll not only strengthen your presence. Through the execution of these strategies, you can amplify your purpose and your impact.
I encourage you to keep learning, keep reflecting, and keep showing up as the leader with presence only you can be.