Do you want to appear confident in your professional life? If so, you’ll need to hone your executive presence. It’s helpful to appear confident, even when you’re not feeling it, especially in high-stress scenarios like a job interview or a new management position. So, what is an executive presence, and how can you develop it?

What is executive presence?

Executive presence consists of learned behaviours and innate personality traits that command attention and authority. Exuding executive presence means you project confidence and professionalism, gaining respect and inspiring others.

It combines verbal and non-verbal communication, leadership qualities, and personal branding. Here are 13 tips to help you develop and display executive presence:

1. Develop self-confidence

Believe in yourself and your abilities. Speak and act with certainty and conviction. The great thing about confidence is that it’s infectious and will inspire confidence in others around you! It helps you explore your work style, leadership style and career goals and create an action plan to achieve them. As you tick off a goal, your confidence will grow.

2. Enhance communication skills

You can master the art of clear and concise communication, even if it doesn’t come naturally. Gain professional development to communicate with purpose and activate active listening skills. It’s also important to display confident body language and maintain eye contact when conversing.

3. Maintain calm

Do you find yourself in high-pressure situations? If so, it’s crucial to practice staying composed and calm. If you’re an executive or manager, it’s vital to project calm, especially in stressful scenarios. This ability will show your capability to handle challenges, stay composed and make rational decisions. This ability to project calm, even if you’re not feeling it, instils confidence in your team and stakeholders.

4. Develop emotional intelligence

You demonstrate emotional intelligence when you understand and manage your emotions effectively and show empathy towards others’ feelings and perspectives.  Emotional intelligence helps you to build strong relationships and understand team dynamics. As a result, you have an executive presence. If you need help to develop emotional intelligence, you can learn!

5. Dress professionally

Dress the part, and you’ll instantly exude an executive presence without saying a word! Dressing professionally and appropriately for your industry and role shows confidence and respect for your position.

6. Be decisive

Decision-making is a crucial life skill demonstrating efficiency, maturity, and positivity. When you over-analyse and second-guess yourself, it can lead to poorer decisions with consequences. Executives are expected to make crucial decisions, so it’s important to learn how to comprehensively assesses choices to make better decisions.   So, demonstrate your ability to make well-thought-out choices and stand by them to project an executive presence. You can improve your decisiveness by making smaller decisions quickly, building up to hastening significant decision-making. It can help to study complex problem-solving and critical thinking processes to improve the speed and success of your decision-making.

7. Be a creative thinker

When you can think strategically and communicate a compelling vision for the future, your executive presence shoots up a notch. So, share your big-picture vision and communicate the plan to get there to enhance your executive presence.

8. Network and build relationships

You can improve your executive presence by emulating those you admire in leadership roles. To do this, make sure you have a strong professional network to draw on. You can extend your professional network by being approachable and nurturing relationships with colleagues, superiors, and subordinates.

9. Use body language

Don’t let your body language betray you. Pay attention to your body language because a strong executive presence is reflected in your physical demeanour. You will exude confidence when you have good posture, stand tall, and use purposeful gestures. Similarly, fidgeting and slouching will reflect nervousness and insecurity.

10. Invest in professional development

Stay informed about industry trends, business developments, leadership techniques and professional development.  Adaptability is crucial in a dynamic business environment, so ensure you’re investing in professional development. Leadership and communication courses will help develop your executive presence.

11. Develop public speaking skills

Executives with excellent public speaking skills deliver clear, confident messages to help teams achieve collective goals. Enhance your public speaking and presentation skills to engage your audience and deliver messages with confidence and clarity!

12. Demonstrate accountability

Those with an executive presence take responsibility for their actions and decisions. When you demonstrate accountability at work, it instils a sense of trust. Show that you are willing to learn from mistakes and grow as a leader to gain the respect of others.

13. Cultivate a positive mindset

A positive leader shows a resilient attitude by working toward goals with energy and purpose. A positive mindset is contagious, so ensure you stay focused on your abilities rather than the skills you lack!

Remember, your executive presence can be developed over time. It’s not about pretending to be someone you’re not but showcasing the best version of yourself. Practice these tips consistently, ask for feedback, and be open to learning and improving.

 

If you’re looking for professional development opportunities, contact one of our friendly Course Consultants today on Live Chat or 1300 76 2221. We would love to help you find your new direction!