Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success

by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

“command a room,”

You communicate the authority of a leader—through your speaking skills and ability to command a room.

It turns out that becoming a leader and doing something amazing with your life hinge on what makes you different, not on what makes you the same as everyone else.

compassionate, considered, and competent leader,

important in troubled times than a leader who projects calm and confidence.

Very valid

“Self-confidence is your iron core,”

We don’t know how strong we are until we’re in hot water.

you demonstrate that your confidence cannot be shaken, you inspire confidence in others.

70 percent of leaders consider decisiveness to be a component of EP for both men and women, second only to confidence in a crisis,

you’re coming from a core of unshakable values.

What’s the vibe, or unarticulated emotion you need to address or temper? What do people need from you in order to move forward?

Leaders who pick up on these cues know when to be decisive and when to hold back; when to show teeth, and when to retract their claws.

your reputation is not a function simply of your deeds and actions: Social media and the ubiquity of smartphones—with their handy dandy cameras—conspire to make your reputation a function of what people see, including your attire, office décor, automobile, vacation home, and collectibles.

“I make them uncomfortable. But I also know they

respect me.

Great leaders are brutally optimistic.”

Surround yourself with people who are better than you.

Be generous with credit.

Stick to what you know.

Show humility.

Smile more.

“Smiling a lot projects happiness and likability, and people want to work with those who they like and those who are happy,”

Empower others’ presence to build your own.

Executive presence is not what you do with your presence, it’s also what you do with other people’s presence.”

Snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Drive change rather than be changed.

First, communication is not so much what you say but rather how you say it.

Effective communication is all about engagement.

but a voice in the lower-frequency range will encourage others to see you as successful, sociable, and smart,

The lower your voice, the greater your leadership presence,

“Those spaces give gravity to your most important pieces of advice, your most important insights, your most important messages,”

‘If you want to be heard, you’ve got to be a little more deferential to those sitting around the table with you.’

Agility in a leader is increasingly prized in a global economy characterized by relentless change and persistent volatility.

“Facelifts and good dental work convey a more youthful appearance, but they also signal confidence and credibility.

but when I look in control I feel in control—and that’s how others perceive me.”

that you’re in total control.

You should look “appropriate for your environment, and authentic to you,”

resolve and her regal bearing. “I stand before you tonight in

power dressing

on your body language, speech and delivery, attire, command of the room, and so on.

“Tell me the three areas where you think you’re doing great,” she opens. “Then tell me the three areas where you want to improve.”

Across all three pillars of executive presence—gravitas, communication, and appearance—

Either they’re too feminine (and therefore incompetent) or not feminine enough (and therefore mannish and inauthentic).

“honey attracts more bees than vinegar,”

you need to come not from a position of what’s good for you but of what’s best for the company.

BUILD A PERSONAL BRAND THAT GRANTS YOU LOTS OF LATITUDE TO BE YOU—AND BE RELENTLESS IN PROJECTING IT

My personal brand Being versatile Approachable Technical know how Good mentor / Guide Leadership

someone who delighted in taking on challenges and doing things differently.

Vaccinate i

brand—embracing challenge, doing things differently—

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