Executive Presence

Executive Presence is an actionable guide to the essential components of a strong leader’s charisma, including and teaching you elements like gravitas, communication, appearance, and others.

More than half of the leaders surveyed by Hewlett pointed to gravitas as the core foundation of EP. They usually defined gravitas as the ability to exude integrity, calmness, and confidence under the most pressing circumstances.

Times of crisis are the best test of a leader’s gravitas. One experience of the oil company BP illustrates how this may play out in real life.

In April 2010, crude oil spilled from the BP-operated Macondo prospect in the Gulf of Mexico. The government held the company responsible, which resulted in a PR crisis as the press grilled executives. Bob Dudley, the managing director of the company at the time, stepped up to the mark of representing BP during this difficult time.

Dudley remained patient and compassionate and didn’t hold back from answering even one question. This was an ultimate test for his executive presence, and he passed with excellence. His gravitas proved to be so strong that within a few months he became the CEO of the company.

The secret to a great EP lies in finding the sweet spot between being compassionate and able to make tough decisions. Once you make a hard choice, own it with confidence and integrity. This may mean that you will experience criticism, but that’s ok. As long as you can communicate why you did what you did, people will, at the very least respect you.

Strong communication skills are an accurate representation of whether you qualify as a leader or not. How you present yourself and your opinions are much more important than what you are saying. Suzi Digby, a British choral instructor, says that you have a mere five-second slot to first engage with your audience after you meet them. This is the famous “power of first impressions” that you should seize to your advantage. How can you do this? Start by showing yourself as completely human. Use the first moments of your interaction with others to establish a way for them to relate to you. Once you do this, there are certain guidelines to follow, based on Hewlett’s survey responses. Follow these, and your EP will gain bonus points: Share insights through stories, rather than abstract ideas. Read the people who are in the room and adjust your way of speaking to them. Finally, focus on the technical aspects of your speech, such as proper grammar, reducing filler words, and controlling the pitch of your voice. While all of that sounds like a lot to keep an eye on, you can master it with practice. The best…