Executive Presence

When a competent executive enters the room, they air an atmosphere of authority. The dynamic of the room changes and people listen.

The piece, A Practical Guide to Executive Presence, is about how anyone, regardless of title, can develop executive presence. Here’s a quick summary:

• Dress the part. “You should not appear to be in both the youngest and shabbiest looking 1/3 of people at your level.”
• Be concise. If you can’t express something concisely, you probably don’t understand it. People take high-signal communicators seriously.
• Understand your circle of competence. Executives have a broad range of experience, but be honest about when you lack knowledge. People will respect you more for being open about what you don’t know.