Exuding Executive Presence adds a layer of challenges and opportunities for women to excel in the workplace. Diane Craig, President & Founder, Corporate Class Inc., shares her observations.
We are slowly and steadily overcoming the various challenges resulting from the pandemic. We have more lessons to learn as workplaces worldwide are moving towards a hybrid model of work-from-home and from working in the office, which requires current and aspiring leaders to step up and up-skill to lead teams.
Women, in general, tend to take on more responsibilities in raising children and ensuring their households run as efficiently as their offices do.
But, how does one exude Executive Presence, 24/7, with no breaks and no clear distinction in their work and home spaces?
Expert coach, Diane Craig, answers key questions to help address.
What defines Executive Presence for women now as we move towards a hybrid model of work cultures?
Executive Presence always has and will always come down to how you show up in any situation and how you present yourself.
Your presence and engagement during a conversation in the office might be somewhat different from how you show up on an online platform, however, the basic guidelines remain the same.
When you enter your office or a boardroom for a meeting, others immediately develop a first impression of how you are doing today — if you look happy or weighed down, if you will be able to contribute to a conversation effectively, etc. This first impression sets the tone for the rest of the engagement.
Energy flows where intention goes, and those around you pick up on where your energy is flowing at the moment.
Executive Presence is really about the ability to connect authentically and to inspire and motivate those around you.
We say that inspiring is the pull, motivating is the push.
So, if I want to pull my team in and engage them, I, as a leader, need to show up authentically.
For some, let’s say you are an introvert, at times, you will have to stretch yourself, and express yourself more passionately than you normally would to show you are excited about what you are talking about. This may not be your preferred communication style, but that’s what it will take for your message to be as impactful as you want it to be.
As we start to move fluidly between working from home and the office, there are more demands on most women, many of whom are within the sandwich generation. How do we manage that?
First, it needs to be understood and communicated within the family. A friend of mine said while her children were role-playing, her five-year-old told his playmate, “Can’t you see I am on a Zoom call?” while pretending to work on a laptop. We were both taken aback because we would have never thought of saying things like that when we were five. This just speaks to how our children pick up on the behaviours around them and also have developed their understanding of our challenges.
The second most important step to exuding executive presence, after showing the best version of your authentic self, is to be present in the moment. We need to navigate these situations using solutions like sticky notes on the door indicating your office is off-limits right now, scheduling meetings around your children’s schedule if required, and communicating your needs to your partner and team. Of course, it isn’t going to be perfect, and it takes a lot of practice, however, it lays the foundation for your success.
A good leader needs to adapt to unforeseen challenges to engage and motivate those around them under any circumstance. You have to be that role model.
How does developing Executive Presence differ for women?
Over the last 30 years, I have coached, worked with, and mentored many women. Two things I hear most often are:
- they doubt themselves a lot more than their male counterparts and
- their passion often gets equated with “being emotional.”
Both result from systemic practices and stereotypes that are believed to be true and are not backed by evidence.
The first factor results from the old style of leadership where command and control ruled the boardroom.
We think of men as confident and women as capable in our teams, and that needs to change.
As a woman, if you are invited to speak about something in a meeting or conference, it’s because you are an expert in the field and you should own it. It’s the same with applying for jobs. The lack of confidence keeps most women from getting through doors, not for lack of experience, expertise, or abilities, more often it is just about confidence and interrupting that self-doubt.
That’s why I love organizations such as The White Ribbon, whose mandate is to enable men to help develop women’s voices. It’s important for women to have male mentors and champions who help them overcome their fears and self-doubt, which are often baseless.
If women are passionate about an idea or a project, they are often perceived as emotional especially in non-inclusive workplaces.
In developing your Executive Presence as a woman, be true to yourself and remain authentic. This requires you to be assertive. Asserting oneself means respecting yourself by speaking up your mind, respecting others by acknowledging their point of view and, without expectation of them necessarily agreeing with you.
This is different from aggression, which disrespects others; and from passivity, which disrespects yourself. If you are passive-aggressive, you disrespect both yourself and those around you. The benefit of developing an Executive Presence is that you show up like you belong.
Any tips on developing executive presence for women leaders?
Truly believe in your abilities and experiences. Do not invalidate yourself or diminish your power.
In order to be anointed as a leader, you first have to be perceived as one.
If you don’t believe you have that presence when you’re in a meeting, when you’re presenting, when you’re interacting with others, it’s going to be difficult for anyone to be influenced or persuaded by you.
They’re still going to doubt that you’re that leader that I want to work with, that I want to listen to, that I want to role model and that I want to learn from.
The secret of executive presence for women, in many ways, is the same as it is for men…
- It is displaying your authenticity, your motivations and inspirations, and living them.
- It involves speaking the truth with assertiveness and not aggressiveness.
- It involves showing up at your authentic best, being present in the moment, and communicating challenges to your immediate loved ones and your teams to overcome challenges to be the best versions of ourselves.
Are you a woman leader ready to build your executive presence?
Experience the power of our leadership and executive presence training for women at Corporate Class. Our expert facilitators offer personalized in-person and live online programs tailored to enhance executive presence for women leaders. Discover our Individual Training options or reach out to us for hosting a bespoke Business Workshop.
You can also master your Executive Presence skills with CCI’s Online Self-Paced Leadership Presence System!
Executive Presence – what is it? Well, it’s neither exclusive nor elusive, which means you can get it! People aren’t “born” with Executive Presence. Yes, for some it comes more naturally because they inheritably express certain characterizes that are closely linked to Executive Presence. However, for those who do not exhibit these characteristics, there is no need to fret. Executive Presence can absolutely be learned, although it is important to keep in mind that it is a process, not an event.