Virtual Executive Presence Through Digital Leverage

Now that we are all doing much of our business via digital media, we all need to develop a virtual Executive Presence.

Virtual communication has become standard in business since 2020. In most cases, your primary opportunities to make an impression on colleagues, employees, clients, or superiors, will come through digital platforms. Businesspeople have always strived to embody and exude Executive Presence (even if they haven’t always called it by that name). The medium they have used to do so has largely been face-to-face communication, using body language, verbal cues, and facial communication to convey gravitas, strong communication skills, and a good appearance.

Now, with the rise of digital communications, most of your business associates are reduced to talking heads on a screen. The communication skills you use in person don’t always translate into the digital medium, so how are you to express Executive Presence virtually? Quite simply, you need to acquire a new set of skills, collectively referred to as digital leverage. 

Digital Leverage: A Key Component of Modern Executive Presence

Modern Executive Presence amounts to virtual leadership. That is the use of digital tools to convey your leadership presence. Doing so successfully requires digital leverage, using the tools available to you in the digital realm to convey and even enhance your Executive Presence.

If you want to express your leadership presence, you will need to leverage your virtual communication and online networking skills. In its simplest terms, this means learning how to use your camera. You will need to become aware of the capacities and limitations of your webcam. H2: Virtual Communication Skills for Effective Executive Leadership

Since you lose about 80% of your body language when communicating via camera, it is a real challenge to accurately convey your competence and confidence. However, you can learn a few key skills to make the task easier.

  1. Use your facial expressions. Don’t let your team or clients see your eyes moving to the top of your screen when an email comes in; stay focused. Maintain a pleasant facial expression and remain engaged. Self-correct if you catch yourself staring blankly at the camera. Avoid maintaining a blank expression throughout the meeting. Instead, smile, nod, and use facial expressions to convey your thoughts and feelings about the discussion. However, be cautious: too many facial expressions can be distracting. Strike a balance by expressing yourself appropriately. For instance, if you disagree with something, let your face reflect that emotion, but don’t hold that expression for the entire meeting. A brief display of emotion is enough to show that you’ve been heard and understood.
  1. Maintain eye contact, which is to say, look directly at the camera. When you speak during a virtual meeting, look directly at the camera to give the impression that you are speaking directly to the participants. One useful tip is to move the virtual meeting window close to your camera. You might need to compress the window slightly, but this adjustment will make it feel like you are speaking to people in the room rather than talking to yourself. This setup helps simulate the effect of making direct eye contact with them.

The Art of Online Networking for Executive Influence and Presence

One of the major challenges people face when communicating online is projecting confidence and authenticity. You will need to master a few seemingly counterintuitive tips to help you look confident, in control, and authentic.

  1. Don’t be scared of silence. Silence in an online setting can be unbearable. Since you will probably not be able to read people’s responses to what you say immediately, you may be tempted to speak to break the tension and mask your uncertainty. That can diminish the impact of your message and make you look like you lack confidence. Give your audience time to process what you are saying. It could take up to 20 seconds before they are ready to respond. 
  2. Practice active listening. The camera can make you look uninterested, even if you are really thoroughly engaged in the discussion. Aside from using your facial expression to signal your engagement, use active listening techniques: nod where appropriate or make affirming interjections such as “I see,” or “Right.” Ask questions like, “Can you expand on that?”  

Although Executive Presence itself can be a bit of an X-factor and you may find it challenging to exude, communicating leadership presence through virtual platforms can be learned. Corporate Class Inc. is a global authority in Executive Presence and Leadership training and coaching. We are in the business of empowering people. We strive to develop exceptional leaders and to assist organizations in developing effective leadership approaches. Contact us to learn how our training and consultation can help you improve your virtual Executive Presence.

Executive Presence in Virtual Meetings for Zoom and Other Social Platforms

In today’s digital workplace, where teams work remotely, we need to focus more on improving executive presence in virtual meetings to communicate better and lead effectively. There are several platforms available, like LinkedIn Chat all of which do a great job of enabling the virtual meeting experience. Granted, but why is it so much more difficult than running a face-to-face meeting? 

At the best of times, most of us are anxious speakers. 

Our shyness, nerves and anxiety revolve around what to say and how to say it.  Those feelings do not just go away when we meet with others virtually. Our discomfort grows when we add to that the ‘newness’ of these virtual platforms, the limitations of internet bandwidth and the discomfort of always being on screen. 

We were used to letting our minds wander while watching TV. Now, it’s watching us! A further complication is interpreting facial expressions when participating in a screen-to-screen meeting. 

Micro-facial expressions are essential to our understanding of one another.

On-screen, facial expressions all but disappear, are distorted or are frozen for a moment due to internet connectivity. Making eye contact, which is critical in face-to-face communication is difficult to achieve on screen. It is hard to read body language or identify nonverbal cues. 

As a default, we tend to look at ourselves (yikes).

Some of us are exhausted with virtual meetings. It seems that all our social interaction is onscreen. Our job, family, club, church, and even our doctor all occur at home, on screen. 

What has not changed for leaders is the need to plan, manage and facilitate our team meetings. 

Importantly, we need to engage our meeting attendees. That said, many of us were not always successful in engaging our teams when we met face-to-face.  Virtual meetings just exacerbate the problem.

Here are 5 best practices for virtual team meetings on Zoom and other social platforms:

Clothing

Dressing appropriately contributes to your executive presence online, whereas dressing inappropriately takes away from it.

The best practices for online meetings is to dress for your audience. If your office dress code is business casual, then dress that way for your virtual meetings.  

Here are some additional guidelines to be mindful about when on camera:

  • Avoid bright-coloured clothing and accessories; they tend to reflect light and are too vivid on camera. Instead, wear a blue, gray, pink, or beige shirt/blouse
  • Avoid black suits/jackets which tend to diminish your appearance because they absorb too much light.  Instead, wear a medium-colored suit, best bets are blue/dark blue, gray, or brown
  • Avoid fabrics with complicated patterns such as checks, tight/close stripes, herringbones, tweeds, and loud plaids. Fabrics of this design tend to strobe and or flutter on camera which can be distracting
  • Wear clothes made of natural fabrics that tend to breathe easily under the warmth of studio lights. This allows you to remain cool and comfortable
  • Avoid shiny jewelry that may sparkle or any jewellery that rattles and may cause a distracting noise
  • Style your hair off your face to avoid shadows. A clearer view of your face allows the audience to see your expressions and connect with you more when you speak

Lighting

Merriam Webster dictionary defines “in the best light” as – “in a way that makes someone, or something appear in the best way.” This is especially true need to convey executive presence in a virtual meeting. Many people do not consider proper lighting at all, and it shows.  Regrettably, it reflects on their ‘presence’ as well.

The good news is you don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars in Hollywood lighting to show up “in the best light.” Ambient light can do the trick. Face a window if you have one in your workspace. If that does not produce the desired effect, consider augmenting your space with additional lighting. 

Sound

Sound quality is important for developing an executive presence in virtual meetings to keep people’s attention focused. Investing in a Bluetooth computer headset with a microphone can significantly improve the clarity of audio and reduce background noise, ensuring everyone can hear and understand each other without distractions. For the host leading the meeting, clear sound improves their ability to present information and engage with participants. It also enables participants to ask questions and contribute to discussions without difficulty.

During the meeting, participants can easily unmute themselves to speak or ask questions, and the host can quickly mute individuals to minimize background noise. This seamless verbal communication creates a productive environment where everyone feels comfortable participating. Whether presenting ideas, sharing updates, or discussing important topics, clear sound quality improves the meeting experience and ensures that valuable contributions are heard and understood by everyone on the call.

Background

When setting up your virtual meeting space, it’s essential to consider how others see you on the call. If you are going to use your natural environment as a background, ensure it is neat and free of distracting objects so that people on the call can focus on you and the discussion. Some web-based meeting platforms like ZOOM provide virtual backgrounds that you can substitute for your natural background. If you choose a virtual backdrop, you should consider using a green screen. It provides stability to the background and eliminates jumpy images.

Camera Angle

You want to look your best when you are on camera. The first step is to locate your web cam and raise your laptop so that your webcam is at eye level or slightly above. A virtual meeting needs human connection, and if your video is not relatable because your camera is too high, then it will be a distraction. Angles that are too low or too high will be distracting. Humanize your meeting by literally leveling with and looking into the eyes of the people you’re talking to. You may have to raise your laptop using boxes or their equivalent. One more thing: if you are using two screens, make sure you move the platform screen below your camera otherwise it will look like you are looking at something else in the room.

Finally, establish how near or far away from the camera you need to be. The safest composition for all devices is upper chest level. Mimic how close you will get in an actual in-person meeting. When you are meeting someone in person, face to face, you don’t get too close or too far away – you just keep enough distance that you can hear each other. Frame your position using the ‘Rule of Thirds’, a mechanism that photographers use to frame their shots. 

Final Thoughts

When engaging in virtual meetings, it’s important to exude confidence through your executive presence. Start by ensuring your posture is upright and your shoulders are relaxed, avoiding slouching or leaning on one shoulder. Sitting up straight not only improves your posture but also conveys confidence and credibility to the person you’re chatting with. Maintain eye contact by looking directly at the camera, as eye contact conveys attentiveness and sincerity. Utilize gestures and nods to demonstrate active listening and engagement in the conversation. Be mindful of your tone and inflection, as they can influence how your messages are perceived. Avoid speaking too softly or with a lack of confidence, and instead, project your voice with clarity and conviction. By implementing these tactics, you can master your presence in virtual meetings and make a positive impression on your professional connections.

Get in touch with Corporate Class today to improve your executive presence in virtual meetings with our Executive Presence and Leadership course.

Barry Kuntz
Senior Associate, Corporate Class Inc.

Top 3 Ways You Can Instantly Improve Your LinkedIn Profile – And Why It’s Important to do So

3D rendering of a pile of Linkedin logos

It’s no secret that social media has taken the world by storm in the last decade or so; the way we socialize with one another will never be the same. Our private lives are now public, and it is possible for strangers to become friends with a simple mouse click. Social media and the way we engage with the World Wide Web has also changed the way we handle ourselves as business people. One of the most significant changes was the introduction of LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is so influential for a number of reasons. Firstly, it provides professionals with an online platform to reach out to other like-minded individuals in their field. Secondly, it is quickly becoming an important hub for those looking for career opportunities. Thirdly, it represents a huge source of potential clients for many individuals.

All of these aspects of LinkedIn are only a few of the reasons why it is so wonderful and so important. However, in order to be able to take full advantage of the countless possibilities LinkedIn offers, one must have a top-notch profile, or risk getting completely ignored. So, what can you do to instantly improve your profile? Here are a few starting points:

  1. Use a professional head shot

If you do not have a photograph on your profile, you risk not getting seen at all! When do you not have a photograph (a professional one that is in line with your brand – not one of you and your dog please!), people are more likely to either: skip viewing your profile entirely, or read your whole profile in detail, trying to figure you out. When you have a professional head shot that is in line with your brand, people who view your profile are much more willing to trust the content of your page.

  1. Use a catchy “title”

It’s wonderful that you are a Consultant, or VP of Sales, but what kind of consultant? What do you sell? We all know that people move quickly on the web, so try using a catchy title that will grab people’s attention, such as “I can help transform your life – and your wardrobe!” in reference to someone who might be a wardrobe consultant. Try to make it fun, expressive and different.

  1. Triple-check your bio and content – and update it regularly

We know you’ve been busy, which is great! That also means that you could probably update your profile as well. The more accurate and current it is, the better. It is extremely important that you triple check all spelling and grammar, as the last thing you want is your bio littered with typos! In addition, you don’t necessarily need your 2-year serving career from your twenty’s on there – keep it relevant.

Although sometimes daunting, LinkedIn can provide a wealth of potential connections, clients,employees and careers. All you have to do to make the most out of your profile, at least as a starting point, is follow the three rules stated above. There are, of course, many more details to take into account for your LinkedIn profile – if you would like to find out more about how you can have the best LinkedIn profile out there, check out our Lunch and Learn on Virtual Communications.