Written by: Vanina Pitsch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When it comes to cultivating executive presence, I must admit that it’s a topic that I have mixed feelings about. There seem to be many different opinions on the subject, from what it means, to how you can “hack” executive presence. While there are many types of competencies that need to be cultivated in order to amplify “executive presence,” this article will focus on connecting to your inner anchor in order to lead from a place of authenticity and vulnerability.
Together, we will lean into the definition of executive presence, why it’s an important topic, and what you can do to cultivate a strong executive presence that comes from a place of true leadership.
So what’s executive presence and why is it important?
According to Forbes Magazine, “In its simplest terms, executive presence is about your ability to inspire confidence — inspiring confidence in your subordinates that you’re the leader they want to follow, inspiring confidence among peers that you’re capable and reliable and, most importantly, inspiring confidence among senior leaders that you have the potential for great achievements.”
While this is a definition that I generally agree with, I would like to take a different approach when it comes to cultivating “executive presence.”
Firstly, I believe that executive presence is not something that you learn “how to get” – instead, it’s something that one cultivates from within. It comes from having clarity around who you truly are – meaning that you are aware of your values, moral compass, strengths and weaknesses as well as your aspirations and the kind of life that you want to build.
Secondly, it’s important to cultivate and build executive presence over time, no matter what position you have in the workplace, as it will serve you not only in your career but also in the way that you interact with people in your day-to-day life. It’s also from this place that you will be respected by others because you are being true to yourself and leading by example. As a result, you will inspire others to do the same.
Why is this topic important to me? Vulnerability is a quality that I strive to embody in order to build authentic relationships and lead by example. So here’s a story about my experience with learning how to cultivate executive presence in order to level up my career:
When I started my career 10 years ago, I thought I had to become “professional” and wear different masks to make a good impression at work. I focused – way too much on others' opinions and how they perceived me. In fact, I got so good at it that I became what others wanted me to become in order to get praise and external validation.
To be honest, this type of people-pleasing behaviour was pretty draining for me, because I neglected who I truly was in the process. By focusing on what I thought others wanted me to be, I ended up neglecting my true nature and became a stranger to myself. As a result, I did not have any boundaries, did not stand in my power, and did not respect myself. This led me to feeling stuck, making it difficult to get promoted, and it left me feeling completely empty.
Eventually, I hit a wall. I knew that what I was doing wasn’t working and I decided to look for ways to learn more about myself and what was truly important to me. Today, I have changed the way I show up in the workplace: I no longer make myself small to keep others comfortable and I speak up in meetings more often. As a result, I’ve even managed to obtain a few promotions and feel like I’m finally getting the recognition I deserve!
Here’s how you can go from a place of stuckness into stepping into your full power and embodying genuine executive presence:
Step 1: Connect to yourself
Begin by becoming aware of your body sensations, thoughts and emotions, in order to become more aware of your inner voice and connect to your intuition. Get to know your passions, values, aspirations, and moral compass.
How: Cultivate presence through mindfulness practices like doing a breathing exercise or a body scan. For more information about mindfulness practices, you can access this link.
Step 2: Embody yourself
Once you have become aware of who you truly are, you can stay true to yourself in various situations and respect yourself by living according to your values. This is also a good time to identify what’s holding you back and create new beliefs for yourself if your current ones no longer serve you.
How: You can start by taking decisions that are in alignment with who you are and checking in with yourself if a decision that you took doesn’t sit well with you. You can also work with a coach to help you identify your limiting beliefs and create new ones for yourself.
Step 3: Express yourself
This step involves becoming comfortable speaking your truth to others and noticing when you are betraying yourself. This will also help you provide feedback to others.
How: Speaking your truth is important as long as you do it in the right approach. For instance, you can practice with someone you are close with and get some feedback on how you delivered the message. If you are still hesitating, you can simply ask yourself and reflect on this question: “What cost would I incur if I am not sharing my honest feedback?”
Step 4: Reveal yourself
This last step involves becoming comfortable showing who you truly are. Revealing yourself means removing any old masks that you may have been wearing, becoming vulnerable, and taking your full spot by showing up to any situation as your true self. As a result, you embody true Executive Presence by leading by example and building authentic relationships.
How: You can practice vulnerability by sharing mistakes you have made and/or what you may need support with. You can also participate in embodiment movement exercises in order to practice taking your full spot by expressing yourself. For more information on embodiment movement exercises, feel free to reach out to me.
Conclusion:
To conclude, cultivating executive presence comes from within and can be embodied by anyone who is looking to live a life in alignment with who they truly are in the workplace. This kind of presence is inspiring teams and leaders to build authentic relationships and bring their whole selves to work. As a result, they can feel safe when expressing themselves and even challenging the status quo at times.
So my question to you is the following: Are you in touch with who you truly are? Are you revealing yourself to others and taking your full spot by expressing yourself honestly? How are you carrying yourself in the workplace? And what would be the cost that you would incur if you were not expressing yourself this way?
To get some support in learning how to cultivate executive presence, I would be happy to connect with you. You just need to book a free clarity call with me via this link.
For information about my services, visit my website. For more content and inspiration, you can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Vanina Pitsch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Vanina Pitsch is a leadership development manager, mindset coach, and mindfulness facilitator. She is the founder of GloWell Coaching ‒ a coaching and mindfulness company aimed at bringing empathy and mindfulness into organizations and supporting professionals in their careers and life so they can evolve into their next-level selves.
Certified as a Personal and Professional Coach (PPCC) from Concordia University, she offers a variety of different coaching packages and organizes online wellness events as well as urban wellness retreats for professionals and organizations.
She believes in the power of the mind, leadership development, creating inclusive work environments, and teaching others to take care of their well-being. So they can serve from a place of wholeness and be in alignment with their soul’s purpose.
