Executive
Presence – we admire it in others and want it for
ourselves! Also called Personal Presence, Leadership Presence or The
‘It’ Factor, this intangible, difficult to define yet must-have trait
is found in business and political leaders across the world.
In today’s
competitive world, technical and intellectual skills are not enough to
guarantee success as a business leader. While in-depth industry knowledge is
the foundation of your career, your ability to deliver and articulate a
confident message which engages your audience, and is consistent with your
corporation’s value system, and at times even a calibrated response in
stressful times, is a leadership skill which inspires trust.
Your executive
presence is on display when you
(a) Meet with prominent clients and important
prospects,
(b) Communicate with your team,
(c) Work with stakeholders to get a buy-in for your
ideas,
(d) Increase your internal and external visibility
at public fora and networking events,
(e) Present your company to shareholders, investors
and media.
Leaders know about
this influential dimension and believe that communication is made up of both
verbal and non-verbal components and know how to use both effectively. Your
body movements, posture, facial expressions, gestures, eye contact and attire
influence the audience and inspire trust. By integrating their verbal and
non-verbal communication, they deliver a powerful signal saying ‘I am
capable and confident’. It’s necessary for creating a powerful impact when
interacting with clients, board members, teams and shareholders. As defined by
Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, ‘Leadership is about making others better
as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your
absence’.
VISUAL RESUME
As per a research
study, people wearing branded clothes were ‘perceived’ as being richer and of a
higher status than those wearing non-designer clothes. But then Warren Buffet
once said, ‘I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me’. While
many argue that clothes are mere ‘packaging’ and it’s what’s inside that
matters, gurus of the advertising industry will convince you that brands spend
billions of dollars every year to enhance their packaging before marketing it
to their target customers. Similarly, when you meet people for business, your
appearance can inspire confidence, putting people at ease, or it can elicit
hesitation and create confusion in their minds.
Body
language: Has body language taken a backseat in
today’s information age? Not really. Think about it – we continue to judge a
book by its cover, appreciate restaurants with nicely laid-out tables, enjoy
opening beautifully-wrapped gifts. And we also believe in Hollywood movies that
show love at first sight and vote for politicians who look trustworthy. Look
around you and observe the popular world leaders, from J.F. Kennedy, Winston
Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama to Justin Trudeau, Vladimir Putin,
Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, they all display strong body language and
have used it to create an imposing presence. Physicality counts for a lot in
the business world, too. Body language is an integral component of Executive
Presence. Defined as a non-verbal form of communication, when used
effectively it can be your key to greater success as it
(i) Conveys interest, helping you build rapport
with stakeholders,
(ii) Helps develop positive business relationships,
(iii) Influences and motivates your team members,
(iv) improves
productivity, and
(v) helps
you present your ideas with more confidence and with greater impact.
Personal
branding: In today’s day and age, and a highly
digitised and virtually connected world, personal branding and image management
have become ever so important. Chances are that you are working on your
personal branding – without even realising it. Every Facebook post or tweet on
Twitter is an opportunity to let others know who you are. Unlike traditional
meetings or conversations, our digital footprints are here to stay for a very
long time. They not only create a lasting impression on internal and external
stakeholders, but also help ensure better networking for the individual, which
is an important factor for success in today’s world. The word branding conjures
up an image of logos, advertising and models, which till today forms a large
chunk of how companies spend on a brand. Think IPL – look at the millions spent
by team-owners and their battery of consultants to ensure they look different
from the other teams and their fans recall their brand. For the past decade,
each IPL team has ‘invested’ millions on its logos, cricketers, sponsorships,
parties and cheerleaders.
(A) The leader as a statesman: There’s something about Mr. Deepak Parekh that inspires confidence.
Maybe it’s his serious demeanour or his succinct manner of communicating, but
when he makes a suggestion people listen and act on it. This explains why he is
invited on the boards of the best companies and by the government’s most
important policy-making committees. How has he managed to create this aura of
calm energy around himself? In his long career as a banker and head of HDFC,
the country’s premier housing finance company, he has built an impeccable
reputation for his integrity and decisiveness. Following in his footsteps is
the younger Mr. Uday Kotak, CEO, Kotak Bank. If he makes a comment in the
press, it is respected, if he is on a committee to define corporate governance,
investors believe he will steer it along the right path. Mr. Parekh and Mr.
Kotak are the most mature kind of leaders we call ‘statesman’ and it is
gravitas on display.
As per research
done at Princeton University, people decide on your trustworthiness within
one-tenth of a second. Whether it’s at an office meeting or a large social
gathering, successful leaders have an uncanny ability to command the room. They
get noticed when they walk into a room, and as they work their way through the
room, they make a connection with everyone they meet. They look people in the
eye, give them their full attention, listen to their story and say things that
make the other person feel good about the interaction. Interestingly, they
linger in your thoughts even after they have left. Clearly, leaders are in
complete agreement with American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou
who had famously remarked, ‘People will forget what you said, people will
forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’
(B) In a virtual
world: Today, managers and their teams are finding
it challenging to transition from high-contact, face-to-face meetings to remote
interactions. Despite the circumstances which have led to this sudden shift, it
may prove to be the new ‘normal’ for the next few months, maybe even forever.
Today, it has become a forced reality. The organisations of the future may not
need a physical location as their employees collaborate from remote locations,
creating new opportunities for both people and companies.
Leaders are
expected to add value by inspiring and motivating remote teams; the traditional
role of the leader as a supervisor is no longer relevant. As team members are
capable of solving their own problems, they need a leader who is both a coach
and a mentor. Simply put, leaders of remote teams have to make things smoother
for their teams to achieve their targets and stay engaged with the
organisation.
TEN WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR EXECUTIVE PRESENCE
1. Embrace structure: As a leader, create a structure which allows smoother flow of
information. Spend time both at the individual level and at the group level
getting to know your team members better.
2. Focus on
enhanced communication: We have to make changes in
our communication style to less distant and more accessible to our colleagues.
Communicating using technology requires a slightly more enthusiastic greeting,
speaking a tad bit louder, using a few extra gestures and spending a little
more time setting the context.
3. Encourage
participation: A common complaint by all leaders is
that team members appear distracted during face-to-face meetings. With remote
teams, this problem has increased several fold. To encourage participation,
assign and allocate agenda items to team members. Ask specific questions to
individuals, e.g., ‘what was the highlight of your last week’s project?’ ‘what
more did you learn about this problem after speaking with the client?’
4. Redefine
trust: When you can see team members sitting across
the corridor, you automatically assume that they are working. On the other
hand, if you see them once a month or twice a quarter, you might start doubting
their productivity. Managers will have to learn to trust their remote teams by
focusing on the deliverables, a major shift from the old order which gave
credit to the number of hours spent at the desk.
In the virtual
world, leaders tend to connect for task-based agendas, relying on technology.
However, humans need face-to-face interactions to trust and share their ideas.
Push for video calls – both at the individual level and at the group level.
Video calls are ideal for client meetings and internal reviews as they allow
screen-sharing and increased participation. Be quick to catch cues from members
who could be feeling lonely, appearing less motivated or possibly facing mental
health issues. Being clued-in enhances the leader’s ability to sense conflicts
and discontent at an early stage.
5. Micromanaging
is passé: Check in frequently, but resist
micro-managing. Maintain clarity of communication, track the deliverables and
let your teams take ownership for their work.
6. Maintain
transparency: Create a culture of being
non-judgmental and learn to manage biases. In the virtual world, it’s easier to
create sub-groups and alienate others. As a leader, you have to be sensitive to
this and nip it in the bud.
7. Enhance your
listening skills: As a leader, an integral part of
your job is listening to your teams and clients. With remote working, leaders
are expected to further sharpen their ability to listen, offering support and
encouragement. Listen effectively, focus on vocal intonations, summarise and
repeat, ensuring you have a good grip on the ‘real’ problem.
8. Create a
sense of togetherness: Like a traditional business
meeting, start remote interactions, too, with small talk. Ask pointed questions
to individual members, e.g., ‘How was your weekend?’ ‘What is the news from
your city?’ or ‘Give us a visual trip of your work zone.’ Small talk creates a
bridge, works as an ice-breaker and helps build relationships. Scheduling a
‘Zoom coffee’ for one-on-one interactions or a ‘Happy Hour’ for team drinks is
an excellent way to bond.
9. Civility
remains non-negotiable: Some members will be
comfortable using technology while others may be awkward as they view it as a
physical barrier, leading to aggressiveness, rudeness and off-hand comments. As
a leader, be firm about acceptable behaviour and set the boundaries.
10. Promote a
culture of sharing: Email, phone call, video call
or social media – what is the right communication tool for this query? Matching
the technology to your communication query requires planning. Plan the levels
of escalation and communicate them to your team.
CONCLUSION
It’s important to
note that Executive Presence can be developed through a combination of
self-awareness and coaching. In other words, you can learn to be a
leader who can influence and inspire and energise those around you. Is it
possible to build Executive Presence? Yes, it’s something you need to
focus on and you can develop it. Like any other skill, once you build awareness
on your strengths and weaknesses, you can get coached on your shortcomings. As
billionaire Warren Buffet said, his number one tip for success is: ‘Invest
in yourself.’
(Ms Shital
Kakkar Mehra is an executive coach, speaker and writer. She is the author of
‘Business Etiquette, A Guide for Indian Professional’ and has recently released
‘Executive Presence: The P.O.I.S.E. Formula for Leadership’, in July, 2020)
Life is a song – sing it
Life is a game – play it
Life is a challenge – meet it
Life is a dream – realise it
Life is a sacrifice – offer it
Life is love – enjoy it
—
Sai Baba
