Career Coach: The Two Ways to Create Executive Presence

When you see a woman who wows you in a positive way, what is it about her that creates this reaction? Is it the way she dresses, her makeup, or the way she carries herself? Is it what she says and how she says it? Executive presence is an important aspect of how we evaluate who we’ll listen to and believe. We have called this quality charisma, and have assumed it is something we are born with. Can we develop our executive presence? Yes. So what is it, really? It’s a combination of grace and gravitas. 

What is grace? When we see someone that we think is classy, this is an aspect of grace. It is a demeanor of calm confidence that is authentically projected through eye contact, facial expression, style, and voice. Think of those women who come to mind for you. How loudly is this person speaking? Is her handshake firm? Does she look you straight in the eye with a warm, pleasant expression? This is all part of embodying and projecting grace. 

What is gravitas? Gravitas is about substance – about not being superficial. It is knowing the business you are in at a substantial level. It is about backing your opinions or assertions with evidence. Women with gravitas can participate in serious business conversations on topics such as budget, marketing, and people strategies. Think about women you think demonstrate this quality. Do they have depth? Do they weigh in on issues, innovate, and take risks? The women with gravitas compete on the basis of facts, data, and a high degree of integrity. Hilary Clinton has gravitas. Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkel have it, too. 

It is the authentic balance of grace and gravitas that, in combination, earn a woman executive presence. This is achieved through relationships, building trust, partnerships, and creating value. With executive presence, you can earn credibility more quickly and influence others more easily. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

How do colleagues describe their experience of me? What words they use to do this? Am I happy with what I am hearing?
What three things, if I focused on how I embody and project grace and gravitas, would make the biggest difference in my impact? What is the payoff for me, if I make these changes?
What will it take to develop these qualities through how I think, feel, and behave? How will I measure my progress?

–Andrea Zintz, Career Coach