Tips to Increase Your Leadership Presence
By Carol Kinsey-Goman
Leadership presence, is that hard to define, but “we know it when nosotros reckon it” quality. It is a blending of personal too interpersonal skills that when combined, transportation all the correct signals. It’s how nosotros exhibit up, how nosotros brand others feel, too how effectively nosotros communicate both verbally too nonverbally. It's that illusive gene that sets yous upwards for the side past times side advertisement too gives your career that extra boost.
But hither is what leadership presence is not:
• It is not an attribute that is automatically assigned to yous because of your line organization results.
• It is not necessarily reflective of your true talents, qualities, too potential.
Instead, leadership presence depends alone on how other people evaluate you. So it’s all near impression management. As ane savvy executive told me: “You demand to exhibit upwards each solar daytime the vogue yous desire to endure perceived–which is elementary to say, but hard to make unless yous produce your homework too really know yourself.”
That’s why leadership presence needs to endure rooted inward your character–in those traits too values that define you–and the “homework” of genuinely knowing yourself is a crucial identify to start.
But if the foundation for leadership presence is Character, the 5 qualities that demonstrate it are Confidence, Credibility, Composure, Connection, too Charisma.
Confidence is the personality trait most responsible for an private existence seen every bit having leadership presence. Confident people attract followers past times appearing to endure assured, self-motivated, too willing to take away hold risks.
Many strategies assist yous display to a greater extent than confidence, but ane elementary tip is to alter your physical posture: Stand straight, give-up the ghost along your caput upwards too line your shoulders back. When yous slump, yous condense your body, making yous await smaller, to a greater extent than submissive, too less certainly of yourself. As yous expand your posture (even for exactly two minutes) belongings a “Superman” or “Wonder Woman” pose, yous really alter your blood chemistry. Your testosterone score (that’s the ability hormone) increases too your cortisol score (a stress hormone) goes down. So non only produce yous await to a greater extent than confident, yous experience that vogue too.
Of course, yous wouldn’t desire to assume the Wonder Woman pose during a meeting, but doing thence inward private exactly earlier a coming together would ensure that yous larn inward the room looking your confident best.
Credibility is all near how yous communicate. It’s near existence truthful, diplomatic, empathetic, succinct, too decisive. But certainly words too phrases take away hold an almost magical ability to at in ane lawsuit increment your credibility. The discussion “because” is ane of them.
H5N1 written report at Harvard, asked people to interruption into a line of strangers waiting to brand photocopies. When question subjects asked but if they could move the photocopier (“Excuse me, I take away hold to brand 5 copies, may I move the machine?”), they were successful 60% of the time. However, when they added the discussion because to their asking (“May I move the photocopier because I take away hold to brand 5 copies), they gained instant credibility, too their success skyrocketed to 94%.
Composure is keeping your poise nether pressure. It’s remaining calm inward hard situations too thinking effectively on your feet.
One of the things that tin throw yous off your game mightiness surprise you. It’s the snap judgments yous brand near other people’s expressions. H5N1 negative appear from the someone you’re dealing amongst tin trigger all sorts of unwanted reactions, including anxiety, self-doubt, too insecurity.
It’s helped me to realize that most of the time, what I’m seeing is to a greater extent than near them (and their solid set down of take away heed for a diversity of reasons) than it is near me. So elbow grease this play a joke on the side past times side fourth dimension yous are greeted amongst a less-than-welcoming expression: Just tell to yourself, “It’s non near me!” You’ll endure surprised at how this pocket-size phrase tin assist yous maintain your composure.
Connection is measured past times how good yous relate to others. It’s good known that people won’t ever scream back what yous say, but they’ll never forget how yous brand them feel. And how yous brand others experience has a lot to produce amongst your torso language. The torso linguistic communication of connexion is warm too inclusive. Nonverbal tips to connexion include giving people your total attending (so no checking your texts piece others are talking), facing people directly, using positive middle contact (that’s looking at the someone yous are dealing amongst near 60% of time), smiling, nodding, mirroring the other person’s expressions, gesture, too postures, using opened upwards postures inward which legs are uncrossed, arms are relaxed, too gesturing amongst palms exposed (that's the universal “I take away hold goose egg to hide” gesture).
Charisma is all near your ability to attract others. There are no tips that volition increment your charm or appeal other than realizing yous are the most charismatic when yous take away hold a deep belief inward your ain talents too uniqueness too when yous are genuinely passionate near the topic you’re discussing.
Confidence, credibility, composure, connection, too charisma are all fundamental elements of leadership presence. But remember, the foundation is character–and the destination is to align people’s impression of yous amongst your best authentic self.
