Enhancing your

executive presence
Presented by Daniel Chang, Clayton Yeo

Internal use only

Agenda

► Executive presence matters

► Why is executive presence important
► Decoding executive presence as a tool for success
► Gravitas
► Communication
► Appearance
► Executive presence challenges to consider
► Small interactions can make a big impact
► Seeking feedback, coaching, and mentoring
► Tips to develop your executive presence and to help others develop theirs

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What is executive presence

Executive presence is the perception of an individual

as having substance and authority, being capable,
trustworthy, “in charge,” and inspiring followers.
► Presenting yourself to highlight your talent
► Demonstrating strong self-awareness of the personal values that
define you, as well as your preferences, default style and behaviors
► Showing others that you have the knowledge, skills, and style-
switching abilities to exceed expectations in a variety of contexts

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Decoding executive presence as a tool for
success

Per Center for Talent

Innovation research, senior
executives view these three
components as most
important:
► Gravitas: 67%
► Communication: 28%
► Appearance: 5%, but ALL
recognize its potential for
derailing talent

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Gravitas

(gra-vi-tahs) is the combined effect of variables that “signal to the world

that you’re the real deal, a heavyweight in your field and in your
organization, someone worthy of being heard and followed”. (CTI, 2013)

Confidence Decisiveness Emotional Intelligence

Showing that you believe in and
have confidence in yourself, so
others will too, particularly when
under pressure
Integrity
Standing by values, standards,
and ethical principles
particularly when challenged by
superiors, clients, and/or
established organizational
traditions
Successfully advancing a
perspective, recommendation
or path of action when
consulting within the firm and
with clients
Reputation
Being considered a positive role
model and standard-bearer in
your organization
Demonstrating empathy for
others, considering diverse
perspectives and being
accountable for actions and
their impact, particularly in
tough and stressful situations
and times of change and
transition
Foresight
Inspiring others with certainty
about the future; convincingly
interpreting complex data and
information, reliably
extrapolating from trends and
painting a realistic and relevant
image of the desired state

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Communication

verbal, non-verbal and virtual ways of conveying explicit

and implicit information and signal your capability and
“gravitas” to others. (CTI, 2013)

Commanding speaking Stakeholder/audience Active listening

skills
Engaging the audience
intellectually and emotionally in
content and motivating actions
and/or change as a result
focus
Collects insights into the
background, experiences and
perspectives of stakeholders.
Ability to deliver a message that
is packaged for the specific
audience (i.e., using style
versatility/style-switching)
Attentively checking
assumptions, probing and
feeding back what was heard to
a speaker; confirming
understanding and
demonstrating comprehension
of the whole message
(including the implied and
unstated)

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Appearance

How you look; the (first) impression you make (in only
250 milliseconds!) that can either distract from, or
confirm, your capability and “gravitas”. (CTI, 2013)

► Appearance variables are an important first filter or threshold that

does not determine executive presence, but can potentially derail or
undermine it.
Grooming
Caring for one’s physical
appearance to create a
professional and polished look
Attire
Choice of clothing that supports
one’s substance and “gravitas”
does not distract from it, while
still maintaining one’s sense of
personal style and identity.
Again, this will vary significantly
for some individuals who work
with clients with
very different dress codes
Mannerisms
Ensuring that personal habits
(or “ticks”) – verbal and non-
verbal – do not distract,
undermine or contradict one’s
substance and “gravitas” from
the perspective of the audience

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Executive presence challenges to consider

► There isn’t a “fixed” set of rules for executive presence since its perception
based and specific to the particular context and situation you are in
► Self awareness is key
► Specific challenges exist for groups that aren’t widely represented in
leadership
► Women, Minorities, Generation Y, Non-Natives, etc
► Demonstrating executive presence requires style-switching across different
situations and environments
► Get out of your comfort zone
► Experiment on new ways of thinking
► See personal change as an opportunity for enrichment
► Feedback on executive presence is essential, but it can be difficult to provide
and seek and receive

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 Small interactions can make a big impact

Asking for, giving and receiving Magnetic

Experiences
detailed and constructive
feedback on executive presence
is the foundation for everyone’s
development as a professional. Mentoring

Coaching

Feedback

Equitable

Use the power of stories! Share yours and ask others about their experiences too

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Tips to develop your executive presence

► Engage in self-assessment across a variety of contexts

and situations
► Repeatedly ask for, and openly listen to feedback from a
variety of people
► Take action on the feedback and check in often to see if
you are making progress
► Seek out coaching and mentoring on the specific areas
you want to develop
► Talk to someone you trust if you are having a difficult time
figuring out how to be authentically you, while also
effectively demonstrating executive presence

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Tips for helping others develop their
executive presence

► Raise awareness about the importance of executive

presence and have conversations about it often
► Talk to team member(s) in advance of new and different situations
to let them know what questions you may ask them, before going
into a meeting with clients
► Create a feedback rich environment and practice!
► Have more junior team members practice their presenting skills
with you and provide real-time feedback
► Start with a positive, then move on to developmental points with
specific examples

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Questions

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