Three ways to access the power of leadership presence
Effective leadership does not come without practice – it is an inner journey. In a radically changing corporate landscape, leaders who focus on their self-awareness and self-worth will be best equipped to meet the complex challenges of a new era.
Many leaders fail to inspire confidence and hope, often due to a key element that almost all executives overlook: leadership presence. In my two decades of working with leaders, and researching the qualities of thousands of global leaders, at least 90 percent of them need to intentionally develop executive presence.
Approach to leadership needs to change
According to the University of Sydney ‘2025 Skills Horizon report’, we are entering a ‘decade of disorientation,’ where leaders will be constantly challenged in how best to navigate a messy future. Skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity and communication will be paramount.
In addition, I have noticed an increasingly important need for leadership maturity – leaders who have evolved beyond ego and can lead with purpose, integrity and a focus on making a positive impact.
Many leaders don’t consistently believe they are good enough and they don’t give themselves permission to stop performing and show up authentically.
From my conversations with thousands of leaders and CEOs, I have come to realize that the biggest barrier to leadership maturity or executive presence lies within. Many leaders don’t consistently believe they are good enough and they don’t give themselves permission to stop performing and show up authentically.
Defining executive presence
In her book, Executive Presence, Sylvia Ann Hewlett defines executive presence as a blend of three components: gravitas, communication skills and appearance.
I often ask my clients to draw a pie chart and to allocate portions of the circle to represent how they perceive the importance of these three segments.
As the corporate landscape continues to evolve, leadership presence will become an even more valuable asset.
The pie charts usually differ wildly from Hewlett’s research findings. Many place much more emphasis on appearance and communication skills compared with gravitas. Then, they are surprised to learn that appearance counts for just five percent; communication accounts for only 28 percent and gravitas is the most significant at 67 percent.
Hewlett defines gravitas as showing confidence and grace under fire, being decisive, authentic, emotionally intelligent, having integrity, speaking truth to power, being altruistic, purposeful and able to inspire and sell a vision. In my work with clients, gravitas is the most important factor we work on to embody leadership presence.
Three ways to cultivate your leadership presence
Here are the three principles I offer my coaching clients for nurturing their leadership presence:
- Feel worthy: When you balance humility with self-confidence, others will naturally trust and have confidence in you.
- Act worthy: When you communicate clearly, act calmly and operate as a team player, you will deliver value.
- Be worthy: And when you embody integrity and express yourself with purpose, care and vision, others will be inspired by you.
Take the case of my client, Sari. After years of coaching, I recently noticed a powerful shift in her demeanor. As she walked towards me, I noticed that something had changed. Her whole body expressed vibrancy: a confident openness to the world and readiness to meet it. She had the bearing of a strong leader.
Leadership coaching is about continual growth and Sari’s transformation was striking. When she sat down, she paused, turned towards me and opened our coaching conversation with an interesting, thoughtful question. She immediately captured my attention. I was in the presence of an impressive leader.
In our early coaching sessions, her sharp intelligence was not immediately obvious. She spoke with barely a pause and her rapid rate of speech often made her ideas seem disconnected. Now her presence was strong and assured.
Leadership presence is intangible, but it can be learned
Each leader brings different strengths to their role and while some seem like born leaders and naturally exude presence, this doesn’t mean it’s beyond reach. It can be developed by anyone willing to do the work. Sari’s leadership presence was hidden beneath layers of personal experience and conditioning.
Through coaching, she was able to pull back those layers and access her full potential.
Overall, the power of executive presence can translate into more cohesive teams, improved productivity and profits, a deeper sense of purpose and a strengthened reputation. As the corporate landscape continues to evolve, leadership presence will become an even more valuable asset.