I have often heard the term executive presence during conversations about executive assessment, development and succession planning. A person is described as either having or lacking executive presence.
Concerned that a vague construct could adversely affect a person’s career, I would press for a definition of executive presence, or at least a description of some objective and observable behaviors that supported the assessment.
I do not recall ever receiving an acceptable answer to my question, and I am also to blame. After all, when I heard someone described as either having or lacking executive presence, I knew what they meant. I'll know it when I see it.
I know when I’ve seen executive presence, and you have too. The difficulty is explaining what I see; creating an operational definition. Many articles, books and training programs provide detailed explanations of executive presence frequently using the same or similar subjective terms, such as appearance, gravitas or character.
A short and concise description appears to be missing. The challenge of creating a definition is that executive presence is a perception, and perceptions are individual responses to what each person observes. Nevertheless, I decided to press myself and ask, what do I see when I claim a person has executive presence. My immediate response is, I see a man or woman I trust to be in the same room with other executives. Why?
![]()
Appearance
Appearance- Their appearance gives the perception of confidence.
- Their posture is erect and proper. No slumping shoulders when standing and no slouching when sitting.
- They dress the part. Their attire is clean and neat, including their casual dress.
- Their personal hygiene and grooming are also clean and neat.
Dress for Success still counts, but attire alone does not communicate confidence. It’s how they carry and present themselves.
Speech
They:
- Speak with confidence.
- Have a clear, strong and unwavering voice.
- Do not hesitate, pause, say um, er, I think, or hedge their opinions by leading with, I could be wrong, but I…
- Are concise, to the point, know the art of the sound bite and avoid esoteric words and over selling.
- Match their pitch, tone and volume with their message.
- Know when to be passionate and when to be soft spoken.
- Speak to their audience, and listen.
- Use proper grammar and avoid obscenities.
- Sound authentic, professional, but not phony.
Behaviors
They:
- Act with confidence.
- Engage.
- Connect with people.
- Make eye contact upon introduction.
- Offer a firm hand shake (polite, not bone crushing) and smile.
- Sit at the table instead of reclining back.
- Lean forward to speak.
- Sound like they know what they are talking about, because they do know.
- Want to be heard.
- Do not attend meetings to be silent. Nor do they speak just for the sake of being heard. What they say is relevant and meaningful. They add value to the discussion.
- Maintain their composure.
- Do not appear to be nervous, or worse, giggle and laugh in a failed attempt to hide their nervousness.
- Appear calm and reassuring even when on the defensive.
- Control their emotions.
- Quickly assimilate information, process it and state their case.
- Want to influence the decision.
- Have a bias toward action and decision making.
- Are willing to take calculated risks.
Based on what I see:
Executive presence is the perception that a person can successfully perform a leadership position because they act confidently and influentially during personal interactions including initial introductions, group meetings and presentations.
So, that’s my definition of executive presence. You’ll know when you see it.
So, that’s my definition of executive presence. You’ll know when you see it.
Vito Stellato has over thirty-five years of experience in Human Resources and general management. He has been the Senior HR Executive for operations that were opening, expanding and repositioning in three industries: hospitality, specialty engineering and oil & gas. Vito has a passion for helping companies build talent that is committed to quality and customer service. Vito received his Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology from George Washington University and his bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Hamilton College. His certifications include Myers Briggs, SHL Personality and Ability instruments, Strong Interest Inventory, and he is a certified DDI trainer. Comments and suggestions are welcomed.Topics: