How to Develop Executive Presence

Research & Sources / Corporate Professional Growth

When a storm hits and everyone is running around, people instinctively look for one thing: the person who is calm, who seems to know what to do, and who says clearly what happens next. They don’t need to be the loudest or the tallest. Their steadiness is what draws people to them. That is executive presence.

What executive presence is not

Executive presence is often described as a mystery: some people “have it”, others don’t. Advice tends to focus on appearance, voice and body language. These matter a little. But presence that rests only on looking confident breaks quickly under pressure.

The building blocks

Clarity. People with presence know what they think and say it simply. Andrew Carton and colleagues found that leaders who describe their vision in concrete, picture-like language get better performance from their teams than leaders who stay abstract.¹

Decisiveness. Elena Botelho and colleagues studied thousands of executives and found that successful CEOs were notably more decisive: they made decisions earlier and with more conviction, even with incomplete information.²

Composure. Staying calm when others are not. This grows from preparation, experience and managing your own energy.

Listening. Presence is not about talking most. People who feel genuinely listened to become more open and less defensive.³ The most present person in the room often speaks last.

Trustworthiness. Doing what you say, being the same in every room. Paul Zak’s research shows how strongly trust affects energy and engagement at work.⁴

Practising presence in everyday meetings

• Prepare your main point in one or two sentences before every important meeting.
• Speak slower than feels natural, and pause.
• Ask one sharp question instead of making five small comments.
• When asked something you don’t know, say so calmly and say when you will find out.
• In tense moments, name what is happening and suggest a next step.

Presence grows with self-awareness

How you come across is often different from how you feel inside. Feedback from trusted colleagues, a thinking partner or even a video recording of a presentation can show you what others see.

What this means for you this week

• Write your main point before your three most important meetings.
• Practise one pause before answering a difficult question.
• Ask a trusted colleague how you come across in meetings.
• Make one clear decision you have been hesitating about.

Be the calm at the centre. People will find you.

Sources

1. Carton, A. M., Murphy, C. & Clark, J. R. (2014). A (Blurry) Vision of the Future: How Leader Rhetoric about Ultimate Goals Influences Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 57(6), 1544-1570. doi.orgVisions communicated with concrete, image-based language led to better team performance than abstract statements.
2. Botelho, E. L., Powell, K. R., Kincaid, S. & Wang, D. (2017). What Sets Successful CEOs Apart. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgStudy of more than 2,000 executives: decisiveness, engaging for impact, adapting proactively and delivering reliably distinguished successful CEOs.
3. Itzchakov, G. & Kluger, A. N. (2018). The Power of Listening in Helping People Change. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgPeople who feel truly listened to become less defensive and more open to reconsidering their views.
4. Zak, P. J. (2017). The Neuroscience of Trust. Harvard Business Review. hbr.orgPeople at high-trust companies reported less stress, more energy, more engagement and less burnout.