Over the years, I have routinely discussed and explored the subject of executive presence. It usually comes up when a senior leader believes that their direct report does not have enough of it and needs to get better at it. As a result, these leaders often focus on the charisma element of executive presence and how the person in question needs to be more self-aware of their appearance, speaking ability, and body language.
For me, I always find the discussion about executive presence fascinating, because people have such broad and diverse definitions of what it means. Rarely have I found a common consensus on what it is or how to acquire it. However, all involved would agree that certain people have it and others do not. And that more people in leadership positions need to get it in order to be successful.
Upon reflection, I believe executive presence can start with self-awareness, but it is much greater than this singular choice. Having worked with thousands and thousands of leaders over many decades, I have met leaders with executive presence and those who have gained it over time. I believe there are three key choices that leaders role model when they exhibit executive presence.
First, they are fully present and attentive to the people they are with at any given time period. On the surface, showing up and being present does not seem like a big thing. But, when you experience a relationship or a moment when someone is fully present and giving you their undivided attention, you realize that this is a powerful choice and a transformative choice. For when they are with you, they are attuned to the connection that is taking place. As Franciscan priest and writer Father Richard Rohr wrote, “Presence is wisdom! People who are fully present know how to see fully, rightly, and truthfully. Presence is the one thing necessary, and in many ways, the hardest thing of all. Just try to keep your heart open, your mind without division or resistance, and your body not somewhere else.” And when this open heart, mind and body are united in being fully present, these individuals “see fully, rightly, and truthfully” which is a great definition of executive presence.
Second, they engage in making and maintaining connections with a wide diversity of people. Building on this convergence of body, mind and heart, their presence is much greater than what they physically see and do. Instead, it is about how they see things and people. They focus on the wholeness of the people before them and give them their complete attention. This only happens because they have slowed down in order to make meaningful connections rather than transactional connections.
Furthermore, as part of making and maintaining these connections with a wide diversity of people, they focus on community building. Rather than making all the connections about themselves as a positional leader, they instead focus on making sure people are connected with other people. I have witnessed this over and over when a leader will introduce a person to another person, noting where they have common ground and shared interests. For them, building these networks of relationships is an act of conscious community building, which strengthens the whole of the company and strengthens all involved. With mutual and respectful commonality, they know that all will be transformed over time, and that commonality, community, and connections are the pathway to make this happen.
Third, they are confident and calm in spite of the challenges before them. This is the hardest choice to role model and also one of the most important choices to role model on a daily basis. I believe this capacity to be confident and calm starts with having inner clarity, i.e. an understanding of what they believe and an understanding of what are their defaults choices and reactions during stressful and challenging times. This inner clarity then gets role modeled externally by having confidence in their team and others to get things done. They lead from who they are rather than an external ego driven image or perspective.
Within this deep inner clarity, there is one more element that makes their executive presence so authentic, namely their compassion. The word compassion comes from the Latin word, compati, meaning “to suffer with.” It is an emotional response of empathy and sympathy, and the feeling and desire to want to help. Compassion arises from an open heart. It means showing up and paying attention to what is needed in any given situation. It is reflected in genuinely caring for people as people, not just as employees or team members. It is seeing these same people as whole people with full, diverse and meaningful lives even in the midst of their complex and complicated challenges. In particular, I have seen this compassion often displayed by their kindness and thoughtfulness with others. And their willingness to know how they are doing as a person, more than how are they doing in getting their work done. This combination of inner clarity and compassion plus calmness and confidence makes a major difference in their ability to role model executive presence.
When all three of these aforementioned choices happen at the same time and place, namely being fully present and attentive to the people they are with at any given time period, making and maintaining connections with a wide diversity of people, and being confident and calm in spite of the challenges before them, people notice, appreciate, and are willing to work with a leader through difficult times and challenging problems. But in the beginning, leaders, who role model executive presence, focus less on what they are going to do and instead focus more on who they want to be during their time as a leader. This subtle but significant shift creates genuine connections with others and results in authentic executive presence.
© Geery Howe 2025
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