Guest article by Joel Garfinkle
As you rise to your first leadership position, you probably come to a stark realization: You need an entirely new skill set to excel in this role. The abilities you’ve relied on so far in your career, and worked so hard to cultivate, aren’t the ones that will really help you thrive at the next level. The higher you go in your company, the more you need to embody the gravitas, authority, and power of expression that brand a leader with executive presence.
At this stage of your career, you likely don’t have a strong grasp of executive presence. However, you do know it when you see it. Think of the leaders you’ve known who command everyone’s undivided attention the second they enter a room (or a Zoom meeting). They have incredible confidence and charisma. They make decisions courageously. They share bold ideas and exert influence in all directions. In meetings, they’re vocal, insightful, and clear. For all these reasons, they guide their team to impressive results and maintain their trust, respect, and loyalty.
These leaders display the 9 key qualities of executive presence, which fall into the 3 domains of gravitas, authority, and expression. As shown below, I’ve outlined them all in my 3×3 Executive Presence Model, developed through many years of coaching top leaders to success.
Together, these 9 qualities give these leaders that gravitas, authority, and expressiveness that mark them as having executive presence. As a result, people inherently follow their example and look to them for direction.
The most effective leaders—the ones who exude a palpable executive presence to people at all levels—possess all 9 qualities. They don’t rely on just a few while neglecting others. Can you imagine a top leader being decisive but not showing insightfulness? People would have a hard time trusting their judgment. There’s an important interplay between all of the executive presence qualities, so you need to master them all. Having a balanced range of these qualities will allow each of them to fully shine.
Identify Your Top 3 Weaknesses
To advance as a leader, first define your weak points. Among these 9 qualities of executive presence, which ones do you most lack? If you rarely speak up at meetings, you’ll need to hone in on becoming more vocal. If you keep to yourself, you’ll need to expand your influence by branching out and building a rapport with others. Pinpoint the top 3 competencies you most need to develop.
How to identify these qualities? Ask yourself these questions to reflect on areas for growth:
- In which of these areas do I feel least capable?
- Which feels the most daunting?
- What feedback have I received about these competencies?
Get feedback from others to confirm your thoughts or provide additional insights.
Pinpoint Your 3 Greatest Strengths
Now identify your 3 main strengths from the 9 qualities of executive presence. You might not have completely mastered them, but they represent your growth edge. For instance, perhaps you have a natural charisma, even if you haven’t realized it yet. You make people feel good about themselves, and they enjoy being around you. Or perhaps even though you don’t speak a lot, when you do speak, you express yourself clearly. People never have to guess what you mean.
Ask yourself these questions to determine your strengths:
- In which of these areas do I feel most capable?
- Where have I proven myself already?
- What positive feedback have I received about some of these 9 qualities?
Asking for feedback from others can provide affirmation of your strengths or reveal hidden abilities.
Create an Action Plan
Now it’s time to create a strategy for growth. Ideally, you’ll work with an executive presence coach who can help you customize an action plan. You can also use my book, Executive Presence: Step Into Your Power, Convey Confidence & Lead with Conviction, for guidance.
But here’s a simple way to get started. Write down one of the three qualities you most lack. Beneath it, jot down 10 actions you can take to begin displaying it. Do the same for the other 2 qualities that represent your greatest weaknesses. For each of them, circle 3 actions you’ll take this week.
Next week, refer to your lists. Challenge yourself to take 3 more actions for each of them. Your colleagues’ perception of you will begin changing sooner than you might think. Keep doing this week after week, and your confidence will grow as you adopt these new behaviors.
Joel Garfinkle is the author of Executive Presence: Step Into Your Power, Convey Confidence, & Lead With Conviction. Subscribe to his YouTube Channel which has 200+ actionable 2-minute inspirational video clips and visit his website for 300+ articles on leadership development.
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