Do you Know the Real Reason Why Executive Presence Matters? (EP series, no.1)
How to Increase Your Chances of Having the Best Career
We all have physical needs that if not met, will put you in danger quite quickly. These include, for example, food, water, shelter, and sleep. Without these, you will not survive for long.
However, there is more to life than getting our physical needs met. To feel truly alive, several emotional needs must also be met. These include, for example, belonging, agency, purpose, and connection. Without these, you will not experience the fullness of life.
If you stop and think about it, we spend a large part of our adult lives at work. For many people, work provides a large portion of their physical and emotional needs. It's no wonder that when people suddenly lose their job or retire even, this can send them into a tailspin. It is also one of the reasons why when we feel stuck at work, it can feel like torture.
One tradeoff that comes with working for a company instead of yourself is that someone else gets to decide how far you advance. What this means is no matter what you do, if those "deciders" don't want to advance you, you will be stuck. After a few rounds of this, your career can start to feel like a sadistic, rigged game of Monopoly. No matter how hard you work, how much you contribute, how much value you provide, the result is always the same. It's like year after year, you draw the same Chance card -- Go directly to Jail, Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200. To add insult to injury, you see others move past you as they draw a very different Chance card -- Advance to Go (Collect $200).
I'm not here to judge whether what is happening to you is right or wrong. My only goal here is to point out the way the game works because if we choose to play the game, we should know the rules.
However, there is one important difference between Monopoly and our careers. While we cannot control which Chance card we will draw (i.e., we cannot control what others will decide), we can stack the deck in our favor. The way we can do this is by developing Executive Presence.
Have you ever wondered what really determines how far most people go at work? You've probably seen lots of "good" leaders get stuck and "bad" leaders advance. What is going on here? For most people, it's not our technical ability, character, or loyalty that determines how far we advance. It's not even how much we contribute to the company. At the end of the day, it all comes down to what the "deciders" think about your ability to lead. Who will get the next assignment, opportunity, or promotion?
Will it be you or Jack? You or Jill?
This is why Executive Presence matters. It's not about having a title, the best clothes, or the deepest voice. It's about how other people perceive your ability to lead. Whether they are right or wrong is, at least initially, sort of besides the point. It's about getting the chance to prove them right or wrong. Most people would like to at least be given the chance to fail, but the stakes are high, so only a few are chosen. Never being given the chance is demotivating, demoralizing, and can even be heart-breaking at times. In order to avoid falling into this rut, it is important, no matter what level you are at, to cultivate Executive presence, which I define as follows.
"Executive Presence is the ability to inspire confidence that you can lead well in a given situation."
Simply stated, "deciders" give opportunities to people who they believe will get things done. Period. If they don't believe you can, you won't get the chance. Executive Presence is not just a nice to have, it is the ultimate key to unlocking your full career potential.
What this means is it is never too early to cultivate Executive Presence.
Executive Presence is the engine that powers your career.
When it stalls, so does your career. In the articles that follow, we will discuss how to generate Executive Presence so you can drive as far and as fast as you would like. The other option is to sit in the back seat while others drive past you. The choice is yours.
Let’s get moving!
This article was adapted from the new leadership book, Unlock Your Executive Presence: Feel Like a Boss. Find it here, along with other books from the Unlock Your Leadership series.
Joe Kwon, the Connection Counselor is a leadership coach and keynote speaker who helps elevate careers by unlocking the ability to better connect with yourself and others. Contact him if you'd like his help.
To find out more and to access his podcasts, EZPZ blog and free leadership guides, go to www.connectioncounselor.com.
To learn more about Executive Presence now, check out the Connection Counselor’s YouTube series, the Executive Presence Spotlight series here.