Inform—Why It Matters
Why is executive presence (EP) a crucial factor in your career development and success? A survey of 400 CEOs, corporate communication executives, and professional development managers found 89 percent believed EP directly contributes to career advancement, and 78 percent said that limited EP holds people back (New York: Center for Talent Innovation. 2013).
Today, mid- to senior-level leaders recognize the need to develop and demonstrate EP. A Harvard Business Review survey found 52 percent of men and 45% of women said being perceived as having EP is more important to being promoted than having specific qualifications (Boston: Bates Communications, 2018).
The problem lies in establishing a clear understanding of the factors that contribute to perceptions of EP. The Center for Talent Innovation found that feedback on EP is often contradictory and confusing, with 81 percent of those instructed to improve their executive presence being unclear as to how to act upon the feedback. This is why developing it is one of the top two reasons executives receive coaching (Boston: Bates Communications, 2018).
What is EP? It is a multifaceted concept, one that encompasses traits and skills that inspire confidence in leaders. Authors of the 2024 article “Executive Presence: Elevating Your Leadership and Career” explain that “At its core, presence is about the aura or the subtle-yet-impactful vibe a leader emits” (The ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills 18, no. 1 (2024): 29–33). While it may seem like an ambiguous concept, there are concrete characteristics and meaningful ways to enhance EP through thoughtful training and development. No one is born with presence, but it can be demystified and developed.
In essence, EP is the quiet force that commands the room, not with noise, but with self-assurance, purpose, and a genuine regard for others.
Characteristics of Executive Presence
To get a feel for what professionals thought about the concept, we surveyed course participants, asking them what EP meant to them. Here are some of their responses:
- The ability to inspire confidence by one’s mere presence.
- The way a leader shows up or positions themselves as it relates to their actions, appearance, behaviors, and communication.
- EP is the authentic, charismatic aura of leadership that surrounds a person who is dedicated to the service of the greater good.
- EP is the physical and verbal way you communicate and display yourself in front of those who work for and with you. I think in the military, they would have referred to it as your “command presence,” which is essentially how you take charge and conduct yourself in front of others.
- The ability to inspire confidence at all levels of an organization (subordinates, peers, senior leaders).
- The ability to conduct yourself in a way that conveys professionalism, competence, and leadership.
- To me, EP is about embodying professionalism and integrity in every interaction, communicating with clarity and confidence, and approaching challenges with a strategic mindset. It’s the ability to lead by example, inspire trust, and drive impact through thoughtful decision-making and strong interpersonal skills.
- EP is confidence in one’s authority, credibility, and professionalism, while maintaining true authenticity and consideration.
All responses are correct, but the question around how we increase perceptions of EP or modify those that currently exist remains. At its core, EP is the ability to inspire confidence in your authentic leadership, expertise, and empowerment of others. Most articles or speakers discussing EP cover three general areas: (1) Gravitas, (2) communication, and (3) appearance. These characteristics alone create two conflicting ideas: (1) That you must be, or appear to be, an extrovert to convey a strong presence, and (2) that perceptions about our presence are primarily created during first impressions. Both notions are incorrect. Introverts can display a high level of EP as well as extroverts and leaders continue to impact and influence others’ perceptions of them over time.
More recent research reveals two main categories of characteristics: (1) Those formed through initial impressions or short-term exposure, and (2) those that allow others to recognize who we are as a leader based on our attitudes, actions, and behaviors over time. This provides meaningful insight.
The first category—initial impressions—includes elements like appearance, communication style, and confidence level that people assess within seconds of meeting us. While important for establishing credibility, these surface-level factors alone don’t sustain leadership effectiveness.
The second category runs much deeper, encompassing the consistent patterns of behavior that reveal our authentic leadership character. This includes how we handle pressure, make decisions, interact with different stakeholders, and respond to both success and failure. These deeper characteristics take time to observe and evaluate, but they ultimately determine whether others see us as trustworthy, competent, and worthy of following.
Equip—Skills or Behaviors That Enhance the Area in Focus
Two studies create a more robust picture of EP. In “Understanding Executive Presence: Perspectives of Business Professionals” published in an American Psychological Association journal, researchers interviewed and surveyed 34 participants in professional development, executive search, and mid-to-senior-level leaders. Findings revealed ten characteristics. Half related to initial or short-term interactions and the other half were impressions made over time (Dagley and Gaskin, 2014).
The second study was conducted by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder of the Center for Talent Innovation. Hewlett surveyed corporate professionals across a variety of industries and identified 11 characteristics that fell into two broad categories: gravitas and communication traits. Her article titled “The New Rules of Executive Presence” was published in Harvard Business Review (Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2024). Hewlett’s research provides a comprehensive framework of the attitudes, behaviors, and actions that leaders need to project strong executive presence.
The characteristics identified in these two studies, presented below, reveal significant overlap in their findings.
2014 Study
Initial or short-term impressions
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Status and reputation
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Projected confidence
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Appearance
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Communication ability
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Engagement skills
Evaluations over time or long-term impressions
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Interpersonal integrity
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Values in action
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Intellect and expertise
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Outcome delivery ability
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Coercive power (negative attribute)
2022 Study Gravitas traits
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Confidence
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Decisiveness
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Inclusiveness
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Respect for others
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Vision
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Integrity
Communication traits
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Superior speaking skills
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Command of a room/Zoom meeting
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“Listen to learn” orientation
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Ability to read an audience
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Authenticity
As mentioned earlier, executive presence extends far beyond initial impressions of confidence, appearance, and gravitas. While strong first impressions matter, lasting leadership credibility comes from consistent behaviors that demonstrate character, authenticity, competence, and vision over time.
True executive presence encompasses a leader’s ability to create buy-in, embody their values through action, and deliver results by inspiring others to act. It’s built through the accumulated experience others have with your leadership—not just how you appear, but how you consistently show up.
Developing executive presence starts with understanding how others actually experience you. The critical question becomes: How can you ensure that others’ perceptions of you reflect your authentic self and align with your genuine strengths, capabilities, and goals?
The Art of Impression Management
At the core of executive presence is impression management. It draws from Erving Goffman’s impression management theory articulated in his book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life (1956). Goffman viewed this through a theatrical lens, using the metaphor to explain how we manage our “front-stage” public image versus our “back-stage” private self, emphasizing the need to intentionally shape others’ perceptions.
This theory aligns with Shakespeare’s quote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.”
Our “exits and entrances” describe when we are away from or in front of our audiences. Front-stage refers to the space where you face your audience. Here, you embody a particular role and attempt to connect with that audience to accomplish a specific goal. Backstage is the space where you are free from an audience. Here, you are not concerned about displaying characteristics associated with successfully executing a specific role.
Think about various parts you play—at home as a partner or parent, socially with friends, and as a professional. While we are carrying the same personal values and sense of authenticity into each of these roles, the situations and audiences are unique. Depending on the situation, you may highlight different personal characteristics, behaviors, and communication patterns to accomplish a goal or to connect with others in a meaningful way.
The last part of the quote, “one man in his time plays many parts,” reflects our personal and professional journey. As we mature and advance through a variety of professional roles, we are called to level up and adjust how we present ourselves and are perceived by others.
Moving from an individual contributor to a manager or leader is one example. You are not a different person, but in a leadership role you are called to accomplish work through others rather than by yourself. This takes some reinvention of you as a leader. It requires a shift in how others perceive you. This shift in your role and responsibilities does not diminish or change your fundamental strengths, values, or interpersonal integrity.
Notes
- Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Lauren Leader-Chivée, Laura Sherbin, and Joanne Gordon with Fabiola Dieudonné. Executive Presence, (New York: Center for Talent Innovation. 2013).
- Susan Bates, ExPI Executive Presence Index. (Boston: Bates Communications, 2018).
- Susan Bates, ExPI Executive Presence Index. (Boston: Bates Communications, 2018).
- Subrat Kumar Sundar Ray, “Executive Presence: Elevating Your Leadership and Career,” The ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills 18, no. 1 (2024): 29–33.
- Gavin R. Dagley and Cadeyrn J. Gaskin, “Understanding Executive Presence: Perspectives of Business Professionals,” Consulting Psychology Journal 66, no. 3 (2014): 197–211, https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000011
- Sylvia Ann Hewlett, The New Rules of Executive Presence (Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2024).
