Have you ever encountered a leader who exudes confidence and commands respect?
They're not fundamentally different from anyone else, but they consistently exhibit self-confidence. Their actions and their decisions result in a distinct presence. If you're a leader or aspiring to become one, you likely want to cultivate this quality.
While presence is often considered a magical quality, it is something you can develop. To do so, however, you must first grasp what it entails. A quick Google search of the term "executive presence" generates over 377 million hits, emphasizing the relevance of the term in leadership discourse today.
Although one may argue that "charisma" has more appeal than "presence," the idea remains that those with it are instantly effective, well-regarded, and followed. Who wouldn't want to be that person who:
Speaks without interruption
Commands silence in the room
Provides endorsements that have an immediate impact
Have others eagerly joined their team
Admits to mistakes without facing consequences
Is always given the benefit of the doubt
Propels or derails new ideas
Is sought after as both a teammate and lunch companion
You may already possess a presence without realizing it. Experience, learning, fearlessness, and confidence are all factors that can contribute to developing a strong presence. It's not so much a learned skill as it is the accumulation and synergistic outcome of these elements.
To evaluate where you need to improve to enhance your presence, consider the following attributes and rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest:
Speaks without interruption
Commands silence in the room
Provides endorsements that have an immediate impact
Have others eagerly joined their team
Admits to mistakes without facing consequences
Is always given the benefit of the doubt
Propels or derails new ideas
Is sought after as both a teammate and lunch companion
Rating yourself on these attributes will provide insight into which areas require improvement to strengthen your presence.
Are you ready to feel and project confidence? Join the ILS 30-Day Confidence Mastery Bootcamp for 30 days of engaging lessons and practical exercises backed by behavioral science!
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