Executive presence: How to cultivate it and why it matters

Human beings are driven by excellence. We strive to build an arsenal of competencies that will propel us to success. FILE PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK

Human beings are driven by excellence. We strive to build an arsenal of competencies that will propel us to success.

That is why we want to shine. Have you ever gone to a leadership interview and furnished all the accurate, valid, and correct answers but still didn’t get the job?

You have the answers but they are lacklustre and colourless. Have you been passed over for a promotion despite your education, experience, and training?

Chances are you are bereft of what has been called executive presence. Do you think you should be the leader of that department?

Do you think that you are being short-changed on opportunities that are under your nose?

Read: Office bully: Could you be one yet you don’t know?

Then it is about time you cultivated executive presence. It is about time you cultivated personal magnetism. You could be a genius but still, miss grand opportunities.

What is executive presence? Numerous terms denote executive presence. They comprise personal presence, leadership presence, or true leadership.

According to Susan Hewlitt in her book, The Sponsor Effect executive has three components- gravitas, communication and appearance.

However, more research has revealed more dimensions that are the building blocks of executive presence.

Executive presence isn’t therefore a product of one single variable but rather a by-product of a cluster of factors that have to coalesce to generate the icing on the cake.

I agree with Susan on the possession of gravitas as one of the keystones of executive presence. Remember the Sociologist Max Weber told us that there is charismatic leadership.

This is the variety of leadership that doesn’t depend on law or policy or authority. It is a magnetism. A person can pass you in the streets and then say that this person is a big shot somewhere.

A person can step into a room and then the room goes quiet or takes notice. It means a person of substance has entered the room. A serious decision-maker has arrived. A person of authority has just landed.

Communication is another subset of productive professional maturity that one needs to invest in to have a rewarding form of true leadership.

It pays to have the appropriate words, accent, grammar, and pitch. If you want to be considered a phenomenal communicator please divorce PowerPoint presentations. We all know about death by PowerPoint.

The adage of clothes maketh a man is very true. We judge the book by its cover. We shouldn’t but we do it anyway.

The first impressions count. It isn’t easy to reengineer the first thoughts. From the onset, you don’t want to give room for doubts. The world is too competitive for such mistakes.

Life is even shorter. Well, there are no rehearsals even. Dress to leave lasting positive impressions.

So much ink has been expended on account of packing intelligent quotient with emotional quotient. 

The internet has so many articles and podcasts on the career touchstone called emotional intelligence. Emotional measurement is of the children of magnificent and victorious leadership.

Leadership is how one purifies and refines themselves so that one becomes a brand. Although a brand is how people perceive you.

it is how one has strategically crafted their image. Do people call you for counsel on a certain professional or industrial matter?

That means you are credible. That means you have a reputation for certain expertise. Knowledge is power because it creates believability.

If we did research we will discover that result-oriented leaders are among the most optimistic and enthusiastic lot. Leadership presence generates a positive outlook on life and performance.

What are the fruits of leadership presence? Why pay money to develop EP? Why pay a coach to internalise and apply EP?

I can’t begin to count on the merits of EP. Organisations are inspired to optimise and maximise resources. The culture of the organisation is predicted by its leaders.

If an organisation is toxic you can be sure that its leaders are limited in professional presence. Leaders are the principal drivers of high performance.

Great leaders influence great decisions and outcomes. How can we excel in strategy if we are bankrupt in executive presence?

Executive demeanour elevates the capabilities of employees. Great leaders bring the best version of those they lead.

People with executive presence stimulate a growth mindset in those that they lead.

When we have professional maturity, we create better synergies. Nobody is an island. Leaders inspire teams. Executive demeanour removes silo mentalities.

We depend on each to self-actualise. Great leadership boosts collaboration. Leaders unite teams.

Authentic leaders solve problems and conflicts through professionalism and creative and innovative thinking.

We all want to be significant. We all want to have fulfilling careers. When we plant seeds of good influence we become happy.

Mr Magoma is a HR specialist and trainer |  [email protected]