The concept of Executive Presence is not a new one. People have talked about the aura of leaders and the need for leaders to have presence for decades. As current baby boomers retire, companies feel even more pressure to develop their future leaders. This intensified pressure is causing presence to become a red-hot topic in the boardroom and an urgent priority throughout corporate America..
Presence isn’t something you give yourself. It’s something you earn from those around you who respect your right to speak and your ability to lead. Some have called it an “earned authority.” It is a combination of behaviors and attitudes that present a sense of confidence, competence, commitment and authenticity.
And while presence is a priority among training organizations, most companies admit that they struggle to define it. And, that’s why we completed a survey with close to 400 CEOs, C-level executives, corporate communications executives and professional development managers. The survey was designed to better understand how current leaders define presence and its impact on the ability of future leaders to get ahead. The results were confirming and surprising.
The survey confirmed that CEOs see presence as an essential part of their job. In fact, 89 percent of survey respondents believe that presence helps you get ahead. All of the CEOs interviewed believe that presence can be a differentiator. And, 78 percent say that a lack of presence will hold you back.
Surprisingly, the development managers don’t think presence carries as much weight. Only 68 percent of respondents who lead development functions see presence as a critical part of leadership.
But, from the CEO’s perspective, the attributes of presence and leadership are so closely aligned, that they are rarely separated. The survey reinforced that leaders tend to have presence and those with presence tend to make great leaders.
The biggest gaps in perspectives on presence show up when you ask CEOs and development managers for the most effective ways to develop presence. CEOs leaned heavily on three concepts:
- Observation: All of the CEOs observed others with presence early in their careers. Future leaders need an opportunity to observe current leaders. Not only does interaction with top leaders demonstrate presence, it validates the importance of it.
- Coaching: Sixty-five percent of CEOs say that executive coaching can help a leader develop presence. Only 20 percent of the development managers believe this. While most executives said that they observed presence, it’s not always easy to modify or strengthen just because you want to. Executives confirmed that coaching provides desired feedback in a way that few internal resources can. It can also introduce the right skill sets to help an executive create lasting impressions.
- Training: Fifty-five percent of CEOs say that leadership programs are a great way to develop presence; only 33 percent of those who run these programs believe this. And, that may be because development managers are more focused on developing skills and executives think about the exposure they gained through high profile programs. The most effective leadership programs address both skills and exposure by teaching fundamentals of presence and then providing an opportunity for future leaders to demonstrate those skills in front of a senior audience.
The perspective gap also suggests that CEOs get more help than development managers realize. In fact, only 5 percent felt their skills were innate. Instead, most say they think intentionally about how they need to come across and they work hard to deliver an authentic, succinct and relevant message. In fact, they believe that their ability to do so can calm unsettled issues, inspire unfocused employees and convince skeptical audiences.
Sally Williamson is an executive communications and speech coach with Sally Williamson & Associates in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.sallywilliamson.com or email info@sallywilliamson.com.
Written for TrainingIndustry.com
