We are often hired to coach people who have been told they need more “executive presence.”
This is one of those pieces of feedback that is completely in the eye of the beholder; it’s a moving target. Often, “improving executive presence” simply means “look and act more like the person giving the feedback.”
If that’s the case, then, how do we define executive presence in a way that’s helpful? Most often, people describe presence by saying how the person who has it “seems.” They seem confident, they own the room, they aren’t nervous.
It’s a subjective quality that we can only coach by getting specific—we have to get down to behaviors. When we really look at what makes certain people have presence, it’s a combination of things they actually do.
In general: the behaviors that create the feeling of executive presence include having appropriate volume for the room, good eye contact, no vocal rushing, and no distracting movements that seem nervous or agitated.
And all of these behaviors are linked to intention. When you have an appropriate volume for the room, that means you want to reach and connect with all the people there. When your eye contact includes everyone but doesn’t sweep the room, never resting, it means you’re taking the time to make sure your message is landing. When you don’t rush, it means you’re glad to be there and you aren’t trying to get it over with. When you’re composed and not prone to distracting movement, that means you’re channeling your energy towards your audience.
The link between intention and alignment is profound. What you are telling yourself about why you’re there is the primary driver of your behavior. And the combination of intention and alignment is presence.
