One of the most common phrases I hear from leaders during coaching sessions is:
“I want to improve my executive presence.”
When I ask what that means, the answers vary:
- “I want to come across with more confidence.”
- “I want people to listen when I speak.”
- “I want to influence without pushing.”
- “I want to look like I belong in senior rooms.”
These are all valid — but they’re not the heart of the issue.
There’s a misconception in leadership that executive presence is about charisma.
The voice.
The posture.
The polished communication.
The air of certainty.
But after decades leading global teams — and coaching executives across Europe — I’ve learned something different:
Executive presence isn’t about charisma.
It’s about consistency.
It’s not a performance.
It’s not a personality type.
It’s not something you “switch on” when you walk into a room.
Executive presence is the consistent way people experience you as a leader — in calm moments, stressful moments, difficult conversations, and everyday interactions.
Let’s break it down.
Why Leaders Overestimate Charisma — and Underestimate Consistency
Charisma grabs attention.
But consistency builds trust.
Most people don’t need leaders who dazzle them — they need leaders who:
- communicate clearly
- stay grounded under pressure
- follow through
- listen well
- show reliability
- treat people with consistency
Great presence is far quieter than people imagine.
It looks like:
- keeping your voice steady when others escalate
- being the same person in a team meeting as you are in the boardroom
- being dependable in how you make decisions
- showing up prepared
- responding thoughtfully, not reactively
Charisma turns heads.
Consistency turns teams.
The Misunderstandings That Hold Leaders Back
There are three big misconceptions about executive presence:
Misconception 1: You need to be outgoing or extroverted.
Presence has nothing to do with volume.
Some of the strongest leaders I’ve worked with are quiet, calm, observant.
Misconception 2: You need to project certainty.
People don’t need certainty — they need clarity.
They need honesty when things are unclear.
Misconception 3: Presence is about how you “come across”.
Presence is what people feel when they’re around you.
It comes from behaviour, not performance.
When leaders let go of these misconceptions, they start to lead more authentically — and presence develops naturally.
A Lesson From the Arctic About Presence Under Pressure
During the Yukon Arctic Ultra — a 300-mile race in extreme cold — presence becomes survival.
If you panic, you make mistakes.
If you rush, you waste energy.
If you lose focus, you put yourself at risk.
Presence in those environments isn’t about looking tough.
It’s about maintaining clarity and consistency:
- consistent pace
- consistent decisions
- consistent energy management
- consistent focus
When conditions are extreme, consistency becomes leadership.
I’ve found the same in corporate environments.
The best leaders don’t rise above the chaos — they stay steady within it.
Their presence becomes an anchor.
What Executive Presence Really Looks Like
Let’s be practical — presence shows up in everyday behaviours.
Here are the core elements.
1. Clarity of Thought
People follow leaders who think clearly.
Clarity means:
- simplicity
- structure
- purpose
- direction
A leader with presence can take complexity and distil it into something people can act on.
Not louder.
Clearer.
2. Emotional Regulation
Executive presence is calmness under pressure.
Not because you don’t feel emotion — but because you don’t lead from emotion.
You pause.
You reflect.
You choose your response.
Your emotional state becomes predictable — and people trust predictable leaders.
3. Consistent Behaviour
Consistency builds credibility.
People feel safe with leaders who act the same way in:
- good situations
- difficult conversations
- conflict
- uncertainty
- stress
Inconsistency creates anxiety.
Consistency creates trust.
4. Intentional Communication
Presence isn’t about how much you speak — but how purposefully you speak.
Effective leaders:
- choose their words
- match tone to situation
- speak with intention, not impulse
- listen more than they talk
- slow the pace of conversation
When you communicate intentionally, people lean in.
5. Authenticity
People don’t want perfection.
They want honesty.
Executive presence grows when leaders:
- admit what they don’t know
- share the truth clearly
- show humanity
- avoid performance
- act in alignment with values
Authenticity builds presence more than any slick communication technique.
6. The Ability to Hold Space
This is one of the most underrated leadership skills.
Holding space means:
- listening fully
- not rushing to solve
- letting others think
- allowing silence
- creating calm in conversation
People feel your presence when you’re fully present.
The Behaviours That Damage Executive Presence
Just as important as building presence is avoiding the habits that weaken it.
Here are the biggest:
1. Reacting emotionally
Presence drops when leaders become unpredictable.
2. Filling every silence
Silence is leadership space, not a threat.
3. Speaking without thinking
Leaders who rush words rush decisions.
4. Overloading people with information
Clarity is presence. Complexity is noise.
5. Avoiding difficult conversations
Nothing erodes presence faster than inconsistency in accountability.
6. Changing behaviour depending on the room
Teams sense when leaders perform rather than lead.
Presence is lost in inconsistency.
How Senior Leaders Can Build Executive Presence (Practically)
No theatrics.
No scripts.
No “power posing”.
Just grounded leadership habits.
1. Slow the Moment Down
Before responding, ask:
“What’s the outcome I want to create here?”
That question resets your presence in seconds.
2. Create a Clear Mental Model for Decisions
Leaders with presence make decisions through a consistent lens:
- values
- purpose
- facts
- impact
- people
A consistent decision framework builds predictable leadership.
3. Use Silence Intentionally
Silence signals:
- thinking
- confidence
- space
- listening
Most leaders rush to fill it.
High-presence leaders use it.
4. Ground Yourself Physically
Your presence starts in your body:
- feet grounded
- breathing slow
- posture natural
- pace calm
You can feel the difference immediately — so can the people around you.
5. Reflect After Key Moments
Ask yourself:
- How did I show up?
- What energy did I bring into the room?
- Did I react or respond?
- How consistent was my behaviour?
- What would I adjust next time?
Reflection builds awareness.
Awareness builds presence.
6. Get Feedback From Trusted Voices
Presence is experienced — so you need others’ perspectives.
Ask for feedback on:
- clarity
- communication
- emotional style
- decision-making consistency
- confidence
Not to perform, but to understand.
The Link Between Presence, Trust and Influence
Here’s the real power of executive presence:
Presence → Predictability → Trust → Influence
When people trust your consistency, they follow your direction even in difficult moments.
Presence isn’t something you project.
It’s something people feel through:
- your clarity
- your behaviour
- your emotional steadiness
- your self-awareness
- your tone
- your follow-through
Influence comes from who you are — not how loudly you speak.
H2: Final Reflection — Presence Is Built in Small Moments
Executive presence isn’t built on stages.
It’s built:
- in 1:1 conversations
- in moments of pressure
- when things go wrong
- when things go well
- in how you start meetings
- in how you end difficult conversations
- in how you respond to conflict
- in how you communicate when you’re tired
Presence is cumulative.
It’s the sum of thousands of small leadership moments where you choose clarity over performance, intention over reaction, consistency over charisma.
You don’t need to be someone else.
You need to be the most consistent version of yourself.
If executive presence is something you want to develop, I’d be happy to explore it with you. Get in touch.
