7: The limits of executive presence

Today: It's not enough to just have executive presence. We explore what it can and cannot do for you. Find out how executive presence works and what it means for you.

Your turn: We'd love to hear from you. Use the "Message" button on the Anchor app to share a story, question, or feedback related to this episode. Or email us at joe@connectioncounselor.com

Learn more: Details about the book, online course, YouTube tutorials and more can be found at www.connectioncounselor.com/executive-presence-place

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

Transcript

So we've been talking a lot about executive presence and all the advantages, it confers, and some of the reasons why you'd really, it would really be good to have it for your career and your personal results. Well, today I want to talk about the limits of executive presence, right? It's not a magical quality that's the only thing you need to be successful. However, I want to very specifically address what some of the limits are and maybe what some of the myths are about what executive presence is and what it can and cannot do.

So executive presence and having executive presence, let's just assume, imagine yourself as having all the executive presence that you're ever going to have and it's awesome. People are just like, wow, you have amazing executive presence. That's the good news. The bad news is executive presence is not the same thing as being skilled in your area, and it's not the same as being an effective leader, right? Just because you have executive presence doesn't mean you're going to be effective as a leader. And it also doesn't mean that you're the best choice for the job.

So you may be wondering, Joe, what are you talking about, right? Everywhere I read, they say executive presence, or you even say executive presence sets the altitude for your career. Why are you downplaying executive presence now?

So to explain the nuance here, remember, executive presence is about how people feel about you, right?

And it's a very specific feeling. It's the feeling about how well you can lead in a given situation. So think about that for a second. The fact that you feel someone can lead well in a given situation is not exactly the same thing as them having the skills needed to lead. You believe they do. You probably believe they do, right? You'd be foolish to think that they'd have executive presence if they don't, but it's not the same thing.

Also, being an effective leader, which requires more than people just following what you do or feeling that they should follow what you do. There's a lot more to being an effective leader than just that.

So again, executive presence doesn't necessarily give you that as well.

And finally, and I think this one is the most important one and certainly one for upper management to consider if you're part of upper management. It does not mean that you or the person that you select, based on great executive presence is the best choice for the job. All it means is that you feel like they'd be the best choice for the job.

So what's the problem here? The problem is sometimes the person you feel is the best is actually not the best. They could just be the person who's the best at convincing everyone that they should feel that they're the best. They may not have the skills. They may not have the experience. They might not even have the right temperament or strategy or discipline to execute the job that you need executed.

And the North star, I think always for management, is what is the job that needs to get done and why. Not, who's the best person to pick, right? It's always about what is the eventual end goal for the organization for society, whatever your particular North star is. That's, what's guiding it, right?

It's not a personality thing or a personal thing. It's about what is the most effective way to go.

So all this, just to say, executive presence is one aspect and it's a very important aspect because if people don't feel that about you, it won't matter that you have the skill. It won't matter that you are effective or that you are the best choice for the job. If you don't have executive presence, it makes it much less likely that you will be recognized to fulfill your potential or that you will be selected for great opportunities. By the same token, just because you have executive presence, you don't necessarily assume that you have all those other things it takes as well.

So it's always important to have a realistic assessment of your skills and your gaps, and to get feedback from people and to consider all those things. So just because people are telling you you're great and they feel you're great, does not mean that there aren't other areas where you can and need to improve.

It's been great talking to you again. Would love it if you have any comments or questions on executive presence or reactions to any of these episodes, please record a message on Anchor.fm. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening to Executive Presence Morsels. This is Joe Kwon, the Connection Counselor. Remember, it's not what you say, do or wear, it's, how you make people feel that generates executive presence. Nothing else matters.