Savvy executives know the part, act the part and look the part.
That's because they exude "executive presence," a broad term used to
describe the aura of leadership.
For Janie Sharritt, now a vice president at Sara Lee Corp., an image
makeover helped her gain the managerial gravitas that she needed to
advance further up the ladder.
In 2005, Ms. Sharritt was a newly promoted middle manager for another
consumer-products manufacturer. She preferred to wear a ponytail, scant
makeup, khakis, sweaters and loafers. But by taking a "Power of Image"
workshop led by image coach Jonna Martin, she got an expert makeover.
Her revamped look included a sophisticated hairstyle, dressy slacks and
jackets, pumps, colorful necklaces and extra makeup.
She thinks the changes boosted her self confidence, resulting in
faster acceptance of her ideas by senior management. "In the past, [that
quick buy-in] wasn't one of the things I was known for," says Ms.
Sharritt. She joined Sara Lee four years ago.
Executives with presence act self confident, strategic, decisive and
assertive, concludes a study released late last year by the Center for
Work-Life Policy, a New York think tank.
Presence plays an increasingly important role as companies grapple
with a weak recovery and fewer management layers. "You have less time to
make that lasting impression,'' warns Stefanie Smith, head of Stratex
Consulting, a New York coaching firm. Today, 75% of her coaching
practice involves enhancing clients' presence–up from 35% in 2007.
Several big businesses, including Intel Corp. and Morgan Stanley,
recently launched programs to teach ambitious staffers about executive
presence. Rosalind Hudnell, Intel's chief diversity officer, says she
created a "Command Presence" workshop for its rising female technical
stars last year after realizing they needed extra help selling their
ideas within the company. Nearly 200 women at the computer-chip maker
have taken the four-hour session.
These mid-level staffers learn how to present effectively through a
discussion of "constructive confrontation" and a simulated meeting with
an executive audience, according to an Intel spokeswoman.
Ms. Hudnell recalls that her survival long "depended on my being able
to command a room.'' She believes executive presence also involves the
ability to command other leaders.
How can you polish your presence? For starters, you should pinpoint
your strengths and weaknesses. "People are blind to their biggest
derailers," says Karen Kaufman, a Philadelphia executive coach.
You could glean additional clues by keeping a journal based on
workplace observations of executives with authoritative presence, says
James Citrin, a CEO recruiter for search firm Spencer Stuart. Imitate
their behaviors "that feel comfortable and natural for you," he
recommends. Mr. Citrin cites a CEO candidate he recently watched being
interviewed by the board search committee at a $10-billion company.
Among other things, the prospect "looked the committee members
alternately straight in the eye" as he answered their questions "slowly
but very clearly.''
Formal assistance may make an even bigger difference. It ranges from
extensive sessions with an executive coach to voice lessons,
presentation training and improvisational acting classes.
Jason Bernstein retained coach Dee Soder in 2009 to bolster his
presence while an executive of a midsized technology company in suburban
New York. "People who don't know him can miss his high energy and drive
because he has such an easygoing style,'' says Dr. Soder, an industrial
psychologist who founded CEO Perspective Group, an executive assessment
and advisory firm in New York.
To correct this misperception, Mr. Bernstein says he embraced many of
her suggestions. He tried to avoid a monotone in commanding his
employees, sit upright during meetings and display powerful confidence
at a conference table by marking his territory with a water bottle and
notebook.
Dr. Soder also urged him to wave his hand slightly rather than nod
his head in agreement when someone else speaks "to show you got it," Mr.
Bernstein adds.
"Nodding your head is in some ways a gesture of deference,'' Mr.
Bernstein explains. "It was one of the toughest things I found to work
on.'' He says the executive-presence coaching "helped improve my
performance reviews,'' which soon praised his board-level presentations
and leadership ability.
Colleagues also notice flaws in your executive presence. But it's
frequently hard to get frank feedback. "You have to take the
responsibility to ask,'' says Gillian Christie, a managing director of a
big financial-services firm. She remembers how coworkers at a prior
employer only hinted about her tendency to show off during meetings
because her behavior intimidated them.
Now, Ms. Christie continues, she often solicits associates' reaction
following her presentations. Some reply, "You were a little off base.''
As a result, she tones down her strong delivery.
Intel's Ms. Hudnell finds male colleagues usually request her advice
before they appear before the executive team for the first time. They
want to know who will ask the toughest questions. Yet many Intel women
only seek her counsel after a presentation "has not gone well,'' she
says.
The insight inspired Ms. Hudnell to propose the presence workshop for
emerging female stars. "You have to have executive presence in ways
that will set you apart,'' she notes.
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