14: What makes someone an executive?

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Today: What does being resolute have to do with executive presence? Find out how executive presence works and what it means for you.

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Music: Earning Happiness by John Bartmann is licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License

“Remember, it’s not what you say, do, or wear. It’s how you make people feel that generates executive presence. Nothing. Else. Matters.”

One of my favorite ways to explain executive presence, which seems like an elusive kind of concept is to actually look at the words themselves. Cause they actually tell you more than you would might realize at first about what executive presence actually is. So today we're going to look at the first of the two words, which is executive.

What is an executive anyway? If someone asked you, how would you define an executive? Think about how you might answer that or how you might define or explain what an executive is. Take a moment. Now, the word executive comes from the Latin word exsequi, which means to carry out. So in its simplest terms, an executive is someone whose role or job is to carry out plans.

If you really think about why you're an executive, it's because you have been given the trust or the assignment to make things happen. And it's not a plan in isolation. It is the plan of the organization that has given you that position. So it's not just what you want to do. It's what you think needs to be done to accomplish the overall plan of the organization that has assigned you to be an executive, to be in charge of that plan.

So when you think about executive presence in those terms, an executive is the type of confidence you want to inspire - that you really are an executive. So what does that mean now that we have a better sense of what an executive really is? You can ask your stock to ask yourself some questions.

Why would anyone think that I'm going to know what to do in terms of executing this plan? What are the things that would lead them to believe that I am the right choice? So ask yourself that in any situation that requires executive presence. Ask yourself what are things that may go against that. That may work against your executive presence, and are there things that you were doing that sort of undercut or self-sabotage yourself. Stop doing them because that works against your executive presence.

So this concept is so important. Executive presence should not be confused with competence, merit, or even the ability to get the job done. It's a really subtle, but important nuance. Executive presence is just, and I say, just not to minimize it, but I mean, to specify; it is just about whether people believe that you are the right person to lead.

So if you can generate that belief, if you can inspire that confidence, you will have executive presence. That doesn't mean you're going to do a good job. Doesn't mean you're always going to be right. It doesn't even mean, you know, what you're doing or are the best person for the job. It just means you've accomplished generating executive presence, which in and of itself is, can be a positive thing and can help you accomplish the thing that you're trying to accomplish, because it's much harder to accomplish anything if people don't believe they should follow you.

Imagine trying to accomplish any sort of complicated or difficult task if people aren't quite sure whether they should follow you or really they should have followed Tony or Patricia.

Well, thanks so much, again for listening to executive presence, morsels. This is Joe Kwon, the Connection Counselor. I'd love to hear from you on Anchor FM, either the app or the website; you can record a message and leave your thoughts or questions on executive presence. I'd love to hear from you, and if we can, we'll include your message on a future show.

Remember, it's not what you say, do, or wear. It's, how you make people feel that generates executive presence. Nothing else matters.