5 Traits of Leaders Who Have Strong Executive Presence

If you’re not familiar with the term executive presence, don’t worry. Without knowing the term, you probably know what I’m talking about.

Have you ever had a leader or manager who just radiated confidence? Every time they walked in a room or even cleared their throat, people perked up and paid attention? They always seem to know everyone’s names, and they even know people’s children’s names? It’s that “good boss swag” that’s both charming and commanding at the same time.

That, my friend, is called executive presence. 

Not everyone has this kind of demeanor. It is something that can be learned, however. Building your executive presence is just like building any other kind of soft skill. It requires that you focus your energy into it on a consistent basis, but it’s definitely achievable for everyone.

In this post, I want to share five traits of leaders who have a really strong executive presence. These are the traits you will want to work on if you want to strengthen this quality in yourself!

#1 - Charisma

On the surface, this might seem like something that can’t be learned. Either you have it or you don’t, right? Not so fast. Charisma can absolutely be learned. It’s all about making other people feel heard, focusing your attention on people and being present in the conversation, and making people feel important and valuable. All of these things make someone more charismatic.

Instead of checking your phone during conversations, try making eye contact. Say people’s names back to them, and commit what they say to memory. Then, touch base with them again later on. Ask how their kid’s appointment went the next day. Ask how that recipe they mentioned last week turned out. These are little things that will really build your executive presence.

#2 - Composure

Are you a more emotional person? Do you react strongly when bad things happen in the workplace? Look, I get it. I can be emotional, too. But having a strong sense of composure is important if you want to build your executive presence. 

People are looking to you to be calm and level-headed, especially when things get stressful. Learning to manage your composure — even if that means walking away to clear your head or shutting your office door until you can respond more rationally — will go a long way in building trust among your team.

#3 - Clarity

Can you communicate in a way that’s clear and concise? This is so important because it helps others see you as the competent expert you are. In order to do this, you really need to know what you’re going to say ahead of time (and practice saying it), especially if you’re speaking in front of a larger group or giving a presentation.

Work to eliminate “filler” words from your vocabulary. Even though “ums” and “ahs” are totally natural, too many of them can impact your credibility as a leader. Similarly, you want to work on being as concise as possible. If you ramble, people will start to lose interest and that’s definitely not something you want as a leader.

#4 - Empathy

Building powerful connections with people requires you to have a level of empathy towards them. Unfortunately, it’s all too common for leaders to “lose sight” of what their entry level employees are dealing with (for example), and this can create a damaging rift that’s often hard to overcome.

Even if your situation is different from someone else’s, try to see the world as they might see it. Do your best not to judge. Instead, try to understand. Approach situations from a place of wanting to truly connect, and you will be so much further ahead than most leaders.

#5 - Assertiveness

You might be reading this list up until now thinking, “Okay, so to be a better leader, I need to be like a therapist or best friend.” Not exactly. While you do want to be charismatic, kind, understanding, and empathetic, you also want to be assertive and direct.

That does NOT mean you have to be aggressive. In fact, that would negatively impact your executive presence. Instead, you want to be able to say exactly what you need or want, without hurting people’s feelings. It’s about setting boundaries and practicing healthy confidence! 

So, which of these traits do you think you will need to work the hardest to hone? Let me know in the comments!

If you’re interested in working with me one-on-one or in a small group setting to strengthen your executive presence and create new opportunities for yourself, I invite you to look into my Thrive Career Clarity Accelerator 12-week coaching program.