Do You Have ‘Executive Presence’?

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According to a study by the Centre for Talent Innovation, being perceived as leadership material is essential to being promoted into leadership positions. In fact, the 268 senior executives surveyed said “executive presence” counts for 26 per cent of what it takes to get promoted.

So what is executive presence? The ability to project gravitas–confidence, poise under pressure and decisiveness—seems to be its core characteristic, according to more than two-thirds of the executives surveyed. Furthermore, appearance and communication—including speaking skills, assertiveness and the ability to read an audience or situation—contribute to a person’s perceived executive presence.

Often people who exhibit executive presence exude a “wow factor,” or magnetism, and are able to easily influence others. They often #speak up, #use strong and clear language, communicate with passion and energy, and display positive #body language by standing tall, making eye contact, offering a firm handshake and using an #authoritative tone of voice. Moreover, sounding uneducated negatively impacts the way others perceive you.

Appearance represents just a small part of it, but major #mistakes in appearance can be detrimental. #Unkempt attire detracts from both men and women’s executive presence, and among women specifically, too-tight or provocative clothing undercuts it.

Executive presence can be developed if you have a baseline of self-confidence and a willingness to deal with unpredictable situations that come with executive leadership responsibilities. Ask two or three people you trust to offer honest feedback; look for opportunities to hone your presentation skills, as public speaking is an important executive requirement; and find your executive voice, meaning identifying your communication assets — like listening, thinking and speaking #on your  feet, or maintaining composure —and leveraging them.

Source: forbes.com
Source: http://www.navigossearch.com