‘Executive presence’ has become a term that’s synonymous with strong, charismatic leadership, and how we can get more of it is a question frequently asked by everywomanNetwork members, from juniors to senior managers.
We particularly want to make an impact and have our presence felt during a presentation or important meeting with a client, boss, or our teams. We’ve put together a list of questions that can help you reflect on your own impactfulness, ahead of an important career event.
1. Know the expression ‘heart isn’t in it’? When was the last time you felt like that about an instruction you were given?
We’ve all sat through meetings or presentations where the speaker’s message simply didn’t motivate us. Take time to reflect on why this was the case.
- Did the speaker talk to you like a cog in the corporate wheel rather than as a person?
- Did you forget what they said the second you were back at your desk?
- Did you question their own self-belief in their message?
Once you know what caused you to disengage, examine your own message. How would you feel to be receiving rather than delivering it? Does it appeal to hearts as well as minds? As the author John Maxwell said, ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care’.
2. Is your message as sticky as can be?
Ever wondered why some messages ‘stick’, while others simply fade away? Once you’ve defined your message, test its stickiness by asking, is it:
- Simple? Do you get to the point quickly?
- Unexpected? Are you telling your audience something they haven’t heard before?
- Concrete? Is any part of your message open to interpretation?
- Credible? Can you back it up with facts?
- Emotional? As we saw in exercise one, you don’t have to make your audience laugh or cry, but you do have to connect with them in some way.
- Telling a story? Facts and statistics are important but we all need to relate to something more.
Just one of these sticky qualities can make your message a winner. The litmus test is whether it will inspire the audience to your desired action. When JFK said ‘We will put a man on the moon and return him safely within the decade’, his message ticked off every quality on the stickiness list and inspired years of action, which, ultimately, realised the President’s vision.
3. Are you inviting your audience to collaborate?
Interaction is hugely important if you want to persuade your audience that your way is the right way. Consider the impact of these statements:
‘Can you make a commitment?’ | ‘What commitment will you make and when?’ | |
‘I hope this session has had an impact on you.’ |
Versus | ‘As you reflect on this session on your way home, can you write down one thing you’re going to do differently as a result?’ |
‘I think we need to look at this again and think about what we haven’t covered.’ | ‘I suggest we all review this now, and spend 10 minutes after lunch discussing what changes we might want to make.’ |
The more concrete, collaborative approaches on the right are more engaging, and likely therefore to have a stronger impact on your audience.
3. Are you remembering to breathe?
Sometimes we’re so focused on our content, we forget that our breath – which affects our voice, posture and body language – has a huge impact on how our audiences and we feel about our message.
Our brains receive more than two million bits of information per second, only 134 of which we consciously process. Our subconscious minds then, are taking in all sorts of signals that influence what we think of others, and ‘breath,’ says Kate Fletcher, ‘is hugely important to how we perform and come across’.
She recommends taking a few moments before walking onto a stage or into a room with our boss, to centre our breath. Plant your feet on the ground and breathe deeply from the pit of your stomach. Once you’ve found your rhythm, breathe in for six seconds, hold for two, and exhale for seven.
Repeat ten times. You’ll feel and sound calmer, more composed and in control – all things that can make a massive difference to how people see you.
4. When is your voice at its best?
Volume, diction, pitch, and tone all play a big role in creating an impression. Experiment with your voice, noticing when you sound calmest and most authoritative.
Sitting or standing? When breathing from your chest or diaphragm? When looking up or down? As you play around, you’ll notice dramatic differences in how your voice sounds, and will be able to adapt these techniques for important moments.
5. Are you afraid of silence?
‘In our hectic corporate world of busy, open-plan offices,’ says Kate Fletcher, ‘it’s really difficult to appreciate silence’. Many of us find it uncomfortable or perceive it as a sign the conversation isn’t working. But silence can actually be a huge opportunity.
If your initial reaction to a question is silence, it can create the impression you’re really reflecting on what the other person said. It enables you to gather your thoughts, check the intention of what you’re going to say and how it will sound, and you’ll appear more in control as a result.
Remember, silence rarely feels as long to the person whose turn it is to speak, as it does to those listening.
6. Have you noticed how you’re feeling?
Whether you’re nervous, anxious, excited or frustrated about your current situation, taking a moment to tap into how you’re feeling can make all the difference. After all, says Kate Fletcher, ‘Emotions exist for a reason and give us good indications as to whether something might be good or bad for us’.
Recognise how you’re feeling and ask yourself why you might be feeling that way. Self-awareness and being tuned into your emotional state is an important trait of impactful, in-control leaders.
7. What does success look (and sound, feel, taste and smell) like?
Thinking about the outcome you’re hoping for, and then taking time to really imagine yourself in that moment and all the senses it might ignite, can really activate your winning streak. So visualise yourself in that moment, breaking it down as much as possible.
How are you standing, breathing, feeling in that moment? What do you look like? What’s your facial expression saying? What are your hands and feet doing? How is your audience reacting?
8. What’s your screensaver?
No, we don’t mean which holiday snap is currently gracing your desktop. We mean: ‘what facial expression do you wear when you’re not really thinking about it?’ Are you frowning or smiling? Resting your head in your fist? Scratching your head? Fidgeting or rigid?
There’s scientific evidence that if we stand strong, our cortisol levels out, thereby improving how we feel and by extension how we appear to others. The next time you’re in the audience, examine your speaker’s stance and what it’s saying about him or her. For more tips on body language, Kate Fletcher recommends Amy Cuddy’s popular Ted Talk on the subject.
Want more? Discover more ways to develop your impact on others in the everywomanNetwork workbook ‘Executive Presence’.
