We live in a competitive world. Leaders who want to secure the next top positions must master themselves publicly and privately. Tenacious people will gain an awareness of how executive presence and influence can propel them to the front line for promotions.
Like an Olympian training for the gold medal, leaders who want to excel are willing to learn, adapt and take corrective action. They are willing to invest personal time and sacrifice their limited knowledge for new depths of self-awareness. Understanding your particular style of executive presence and influence are foundational aspects of leadership. Start by asking yourself these simple questions:
When crisis strikes, are you the person people seek out for solutions? If so, you have a level of executive presence and influence that impacts stressful situations. Thoughtful, but quick responses to difficult deadlines and complex conditions may be your strength. If so, use your influence wisely.
Executive presence and influence are related to respect. Chances are, if you maintain eye contact when speaking with others, are easy to talk to and listen to others, people trust and respect you. Your demeanor speaks of self-confidence and self-respect, which makes others feel comfortable in your presence.
When speaking to groups of people or in a smaller setting, such as a business meeting, do people hear you? Executive presence and influence means your voice is authoritative and clearly communicates in concise language. Speaking above the educational level of your peers, talking down to people or using a squeaky or unsure tone are definite no-no’s for those who seek top management positions.
Ask people you know and trust to provide feedback on your level of executive presence and influence. Ask them if they notice people listening to you or seeking you out for advice. Seek feedback on your communication and presentation skills. Listen to this feedback and then consider attending an executive presence workshop to hone your executive skills. Because it is those leaders who are willing to train for the top spot that actually receive the gold medal.
Rob Jackson is a member of the National Speaker's Association and has served as President and Chairman on several Executive Leadership boards. In addition to being a Certified DiSC Trainer, Rob has logged hundreds of instructional classroom hours. He is the author of Campfire Leadership, which explores effective leadership from a personality perspective. As President of Magnovo Training Group, Rob's goal is to inspire significant positive change in communities and companies. For more information please visit http://www.magnovo.com.