Perspective: Executive Presence

Executive Presence

You’ve certainly heard the term before, but have you ever thought about what it means? Or better yet, why are people obsessed with someone having an “Executive Presence”?

Well, I’ve also been curious, and I decided to run a LinkedIn poll last week. Very scientific, very factual. So, here’s what the people said:

Most people chose influence, which seems a bit odd. Wouldn’t more leaders have an executive presence if it was only about influence? So, I decided to dig deeper and found that executive presence can mean many different things. Here’s what a quick search will yield:

• Forbes defines executive presence as "your ability to inspire confidence — inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable, and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for great achievements."

• Indeed describes executive presence as "the combination of personality and character traits that make a dynamic executive. It's the ability to inspire others to be assertive in their roles by consistently demonstrating confidence and clear leadership."​

• Harvard Business Review defines executive presence as encompassing "gravitas, strong communication skills, and the 'right' appearance," enabling leaders to inspire confidence and command respect.

It seems that executive presence really boils down to confidence that demands respect. Put simply, executive presence is all about trust.

The Power of Trust

Trust drives our willingness to follow a leader. You’ve probably heard stories or even experienced what it feels like to work for someone you’d be willing to run through a brick wall. This level of trust exudes executive presence. Having an executive presence is the mandate your followers give you, showing they trust your judgment, respect your decisions, and are motivated to follow you in support of the team.

The above definitions all discuss confidence. Confidence combined with competence begins to form an executive presence. People must willingly follow you into chaos because they trust you’ll keep them safe. When it comes to executive presence, I believe it boils down to a simple question:

Would I trust this person with a life-or-death decision on my behalf?

You have to account for morals, competence, intelligence, and many other factors that would help you answer that question. You don’t have to have a close connection with someone to trust them with these decisions. It happens all the time.

When people listened to George Washington speak before battle, did it matter that they never sat down and had a meal with the man? No, they followed him because they trusted his ability to lead them to victory. That’s executive presence. Knowing that you can command the trust of hundreds and thousands of people without ever meeting them.

Reflection

I’ve spent many hours ruminating on executive presence. The questions below have always helped me enhance my “executive presence.”

• Do you trust your leaders at work, at home, in the community, etc.?

  • Why do you trust them?

  • How was the trust built?

• Does your team trust you?

  • Do you have different levels of trust with different people? Why?

  • How can you enhance your levels of trust with certain people?

That’s all I have for this week, but if you’re interested in learning more about building trust, check out my latest article for The Training Industry.

I hope this edition has helped you broaden your perspectives on leadership!

Rick