Five Steps to Executive Presence

1. Mind your manners

A large part of presence is polish. Social graces. The manners your parents taught you (or tried to teach you).  Etiquette around eating, speaking, grooming and more may seem old fashioned, but etiquette makes a huge subconscious impact on people around you. If you’re not sure how to introduce strangers properly or what fork to use at the company dinner, take a couple seconds online finding out.

2. Be informed

It has long been said that you should spend 70% of your reading time on articles in your own field and 30% on a diverse set of topics: this shows depth and wisdom—and don’t forget current events. If you’re meeting somebody from another organization for lunch, take a minute to check their site for the latest press releases, or Google them and find out what’s new.  When you travel to another country, at least know how to say Hello and Pleased to meet you. Believe me, it will go a long way.

3. Learn from the greats

Chance are, you know someone with executive presence. Spend time with those people, if possible. Make a study of their behavior—how they walk, their posture as they enter a room? How they command attention when speaking? How do they dress? Emulating people who “have it” can be an excellent way to understand presence. Don’t worry about being a clone—even the greatest  artists and writers began by studying others; like them, eventually you will make it your own.

4. Know how others see you

How do you really come off? Do you seem confident and comfortable, arrogant or uncomfortable ? Distant or nervous? What do people like about your interaction style, your phone style, your team style? What don’t they like? This is an area where a seasoned business  coach, somebody who has spent time in the business trenches, is priceless, but the second best way to get this feedback is to ask a trusted ally or even a family member. Strategies include simply asking how they would describe you, or asking, for example, what three things would they change about you—either overall, or in the way you interact? The way you handled that presentation? That meeting? etc.

5. Make people around you feel good

This is also known as charisma, and it’s priceless. The fact is, spending all your energy making people admire you won’t get you half as far as making them feel good about themselves. There are many ways to do this. For example, is there something a certain colleague is especially skilled at? Go ahead and broadcast it, let them shine. In a conversation, slow down and listen to what a person says. Follow up with questions rather than your own thoughts. Be interested AND interesting. 

So simple. So powerful.