"When your Absence is felt more than your Presence" was an instantaneous response I gave during a session at a conclave when the facilitator asked the audience their views on Executive Presence. I think it struck a chord :)
There are many views on Executive Presence that define the aura, the Emotional Intelligence, the communication style, the power dressing, the confidence, the quiet authority, the compelling power of a leader who carries himself or herself with élan.
All this in the moment when they are living it. I look at it from a different lens here to explore what makes one leader or entrepreneur stand out from the crowd over the years.
I see a couple of other critical factors that count and come to mind.
And the list goes on.
Executive Presence is about being there in the moment, being genuine, being authentic, sensitive, consistent, being who you are... and not the mask you put on for the external world.
Will you please all? Certainly not. Do you need to? Certainly not.
Your Executive Presence and personal brand are what you make and sustain over the years and is not something driven by some quick fix social media burst. It works best when its inside out and not outside in as depicted in the picture below.
As Holistic Coaches working with senior leaders and entrepreneurs, we see how so many of them lose out on their Executive Presence due to their own self-image or self-awareness gaps or with their leadership behaviours, style, etiquette or reactions. And it’s so easy to fix and make it life changing :)
Make both your Presence and Absence count.