Executive presence is a set of qualities that leaders display in their behavior, demeanor, communication, and appearance. It refers to the way they carry themselves, exude confidence, and project their authority and leadership skills. It is a critical attribute for anyone aspiring to advance to leadership positions in their organization or industry.
Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in which a person doubts their accomplishments, skills, or abilities and has an internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud or impostor. People with imposter syndrome often feel like they don’t belong or that they have achieved their success due to luck rather than their own abilities.
Everyone makes mistakes when speaking. The problem arrives when the CEO or business leader makes consistent and persistent mistakes while speaking.
How might you as CEO or team leader make less speaking mistakes? Learn from the mistakes of others. Review this compilation of CEO and leadership presentation mistakes that you can avoid. Study this post and learn from the mistakes of others so you don’t repeat them. Does that make sense?
One of the problems is that no one will tell the CEO about their lousy presentation skills. If you are the team leader or CEO and want honest feedback to improve your presentation skills, contact me for honest and constructive feedback.
Think about the skills that a successful executive must develop. One of the critical skills is public speaking. Are you clear on what that encompasses and why it’s important?
As a rising executive or executive-hopeful you must communicate effectively with your peers, your superiors and colleagues across the industry. Don’t keep your genius a secret only your boss knows because you will need the support of the peers of your boss to be promoted.
Connect with industry colleagues. Imagine the influence on your boss and bosses’ peers when they hear positive comments about you from the industry.
What are the communication skills that an executive leader might need to develop and exhibit?
You might be brilliant, yet if you are unable to convey your messages or understand your people, you will fail as a leader. You are simply brilliant and might make a successful engineer, executive assistant or inventor but not an effective leader.
Where does executive communication start?
If we are each blind to the other’s perspective we will never agree.
This ancient poem from John G. Saxe about the Six Blind Men Who Went to See the Elephant demonstrates the differences of perspectives and the challenge of understanding. When you read this poem, notice the perspective and certainly of each blind man. Consider that there are times that we might be blind to other perspectives.
Speak with more confidence
When you are speaking, which do you believe Is more important? To feel confident or to appear confident? Think about that. You probably want both, but you can’t have both all the time. The question is which is more important? The answer is, it’s more important to appear confident. Why? Because that is the perspective of your listeners. Once you recognize that it’s about the audience experience and not your experience three factors work in your favor.
What is Executive Presence?
I believe that executive presence means that you look, sound and feel like you belong in a leadership role. Presence means that you show up and look like you are present. That you are comfortable and most importantly that you belong in your position. Presence might mean looking good when you don’t feel good. Presence means owing your space – physical, emotional and relational.
Your chief executive officer, CEO, could be the most powerful spokesperson for your organization. The market wants to hear from the leader. Customers and clients want to know the CEO. The media are often eager to interview and quote an effective leader. Is your organization getting the best return on the speaking skills of your leader?
Let’s review the results of a few effective speakers and a couple who were not.
Do you want to own the room? What might that mean? How can you own the room? Owning the room is a feeling of comfort and confidence.
A successful presentation starts with the presenter owning the room. When you know and own the room, you will feel more powerful and confident. That enables more effective and successful presentations for you.
