The Art & Science of Executive Presence: How to Build Your Leadership Brand

Whether you’re an executive but have the feeling you’re not making the impact you have the potential to make or you’re an individual contributor who struggles to get buy in for ideas and recommendations or you’re an up and coming leader (of people, projects, change or thoughts), this blog post is for you as we discuss some of the most common mistakes people make but also practical ways how you can improve how people perceive you so you can establish yourself as the leader, the Trusted Authority in your industry.

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First things first - executive presence isn't just for leaders or high profile C-Suite roles.

It’s the combination of factors that other people take into consideration about someone whether they have the credibility, the capability and the confidence required to tackle a certain situation.

It may be to lead a team, to be in charge of a project, train others or inspire different thoughts and ideas through keynotes or speeches.  

So as you see- executive presence is essential for anyone who wants to inspire and influence others, build strong relationships, and achieve their goals and is also an individual journey that’s worthwhile exploring as it can open many doors and unlock a ton of opportunities.

And you guess it - it goes beyond your current credentials and titles. 

So the question is - how can you develop executive presence? This is exactly what we cover in this episode.

Basically, there are 2 main factors we’re looking at: does this person have the capability to deliver what they promise and can we trust them. If you’ve attended any of my keynotes, I always explain that knowledge is the currency of competence but trust is the currency of influence and the combination of the 2 is where the magic happens.

That’s important to say that again because in order to influence, it’s not just about having the knowledge, skills and experience to make things happen but also the trust through empathy that people want to follow. 

That’s also why it’s an art and a science to it as everyone’s personality and situation is different and it takes a while to figure out your most effective and sustainable style as trying to fake it isn’t something you can keep up forever.

Let’s get started with:

The key components of Executive Presence

Executive presence isn’t just how you look or how many degrees and titles you have, how you speak or how you approach certain events and situations. It’s a combination of all of the above.

You’ve probably heard of the 7-38-55 communication model by Albert Mehrabian before where he found out that only 7% of the meaning of feelings and attitudes takes place through the words we use in spoken communications, while 38% takes place through tone and voice and the remaining 55% of communication of these factors take place through the body language we use. 

This insight is as mindblowing as the 10 : 30 : 60 success model that Harvey Coleman identified where he found out that only 10% of your success is attributed to your performance, meaning: how good you’re at what you do.

This means that the level of executive presence you have isn’t correlated to how good you are or how sophisticated you can speak on your area of expertise It’s the combination of a few factors, which are:

  • Confidence: the ability to believe in yourself and your ideas and this is where trust in yourself comes in. In the second you want to play a bigger game, sit on the big kids’ table and want to reach a wider audience, beyond what you’re comfortable with, you need to be able to have the courage first to say yes to the opportunity to then take actions to then build the confidence based on the results you can get. 


  • Credibility: the perception that you are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and competent


  • Communication skills: the ability to articulate your ideas clearly, listen actively, and adapt to different audiences


  • Appearance and demeanor: the way you look, act, and carry yourself can impact how others perceive you.



How to Develop Your Executive Presence

Developing executive presence takes time, effort, and self-awareness. Some tips for building your leadership brand include:

  • Define your values and leadership style: 

    • What do you stand for as a leader, and how do you want to lead others?

    • What’s important to you and why?

    • How do you want to be perceived as?

    • What are the qualities that you want to focus on?

    • What are some of the blind spots or gaps that you are aware of?

  • Seek feedback from others: 

    • Ask for feedback from trusted colleagues, mentors, or coaches to understand how others perceive you

  • Practice active listening and effective communication: 

    • Learn to listen actively, ask questions, and tailor your communication style to different audiences.

  • Build your confidence through knowledge and experience: 

    • Commit to ongoing development of your expertise in your field, and seek out opportunities to stretch your skills and take on new challenges.

    • Share what you know and challenge yourself to talk about this topic from different angles and multiple times 

  • Cultivate a strong personal brand: 

    • Use social media, networking events, and other opportunities to build your reputation and establish your leadership brand.




Common Mistakes That Can Damage Your Executive Presence

To build executive presence, it's important to avoid common mistakes that can damage your credibility and reputation. These mistakes include:

  • Being too aggressive or passive in your communication style: 

    • Human psychology 101 tells us that strengths (aka confidence) without warmth and empathy is seen as a threat so trying to be a bulldozer with your ideas and your communication only pulls people away from you. 


  • Failing to listen actively or show empathy towards others

    • A strong leader isn’t necessarily the smartest in the room. It’s the one who can bring out the best out in others and that requires listening more than you talking, being able to adopt leadership and communication style based on the situation and the individual and also committing to staying curious and asking more questions rather than just focusing on being able to have all the answers because real talk: this doesn’t happen in this constantly changing world of work.


  • Dressing inappropriately or failing to groom yourself properly

    • It may sound a little superficial but we still judge the book by its cover because the appearance (usually our digital footprint) is the first thing we see about someone and since everyone’s busy, we make up our mind about someone in a split second. So the question is - what do they remember about you, if they remember you at all?


  • Allowing your emotions to control your behavior

    • Emotions are neither good or bad, it’s the label we give them. The higher the stakes and the bigger the risks, the more emotional reactions come up. But emotions is only energy in motion which means we can change this. Tony Robbins always says; change your state and you change your thoughts. 

That’s one of many reasons why the busier I’m, the more i work out as this is my way to deal with all the emotions that come up. I’m a naturally anxious person and also visionary which can be a tricky combo as i’m always seeing things ahead, including the bad ones and let me tell you- it’s easy to get caught up in the negative spiral of what could happen but this negative state isn’t what helps us to be creative, come up with the next big idea, show up as our personal best and with that, get the best out of people who then in return want to see us succeed. 



  • Failing to adapt to different audiences or situations

    • This one is a biggie as it’s not easy to be nimble and sometimes that means giving up control. Situations are different and so are people which means that depending on what we’re facing, we need to be able to let go of our ego and want to be right to shift into doing the right things by others by switching on our EQ.



  • Not contextualizing before communicating

    • Shooting an answer to a question as quickly as possible is probably one of the most common mistakes I see leaders (to be) make. 

And it’s not their fault since we are trained since day dot (aka going to school) that the ones who have the answers are the ones who are getting rewarded as they seem knowledgeable and capable. However, the more senior you get, the more contextual awareness and then contextual communication you need. 

It starts by acknowledging the situation and explaining some background information to then address how this situation can be solved and connecting it with a personal approach that’s backed by an example.




Strategies for Building and Maintaining Your Executive Presence

To build and maintain your executive presence, you need to be intentional and consistent in your actions. Some strategies to consider include:

  • Practicing self-care and stress management: 

    • Take care of your physical and mental health to project a positive image. 

I often say that your level of impact comes down to more of your energy management than your time management. Knowing where, how and why you can thrive in certain situations and smash out particular tasks whereas others take forever and make you want to take a nap. 

Self awareness isn’t just a fluffy buzz word but the baseline to be as effective and impactful as you can be.

  • Building a support network:

    • Seek out mentors, coaches, or colleagues who can help you develop your skills and give you feedback.


  • Continuing to learn and grow: Stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices to maintain your credibility and relevance.


  • Cultivating your network: Build strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders to expand your influence and build your reputation.

In conclusion, executive presence is an essential leadership skill that can help you build credibility, influence others, and achieve your career goals. By defining your values and leadership style, seeking feedback, practicing effective communication, and avoiding common mistakes, you can build and maintain your executive presence and establish your leadership brand.

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Want to become the Trusted Authority in your field by building and monetising your expertise?

Here are a few ways you can get started with my resources:

1.) Get your copy of my my book - Trusted Authority - From Technical Expert To Trusted Authority   

2.) Watch my brand new 33min training: Trusted Authority Strategy - become known beyond credentials.

3.) Book your complimentary 20min Strategy Session

4.) Connect with Petra Zink on LinkedIn

5.) Join the upcoming LIVE Trusted Authority - Group Coaching Intake(start: 20th April 2023)

 



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