by Sandra M. Martínez, Ph.D. PCC
Executives and upper management leaders are often advised to cultivate their “executive presence” as a steppingstone to promotions and higher executive roles. However, this concept, as well as actualizing it, can seem elusive. A recent article in Harvard Business Review (April 2024) sheds light on our evolving understanding of executive presence, highlighting key elements you may recognize, such as gravitas (inspiring confidence, dignified, serious), communication prowess, and appropriate appearance. However, as the article goes on to explain, the definition of these elements has been transformed, influenced by factors like social media, national and global socio-political changes, and the reality of the post-COVID world.
There is a new emphasis on inclusiveness, which involves respecting others, listening to learn, and projecting authenticity—traits and behaviors increasingly valued in today’s leaders. While traditional qualities like decisiveness and confidence remain crucial, there is a notable shift towards valuing authenticity and the ability to genuinely connect with and support all team members.
Yet, even beyond this new emphasis, sometimes the “presence” part of “executive presence” goes unexplained. You might be asking yourself, how might I become more ‘present’ as a leader and why is that important? Recent developments in neurobiology have shed light on how body and mind are interconnected to influence our perceptions, decisions, and interactions. (In fact, we are living through a revolution in our understanding of how our mind works and how deeply intertwined our mind and body are.) New knowledge in neurobiology offers insight into the sometimes mysterious “embodied presence” that we often invoke. This new knowledge has pragmatic implications for leaders.
Embodied presence refers to a vital awareness of one’s mental, physical, and emotional state during interactions. This concept is grounded in the understanding that our emotions are not merely reactions but concepts we actively construct, in a neurobiological process that draws from our past experiences and present sensory inputs. The good news is that this new knowledge about where our emotions come from gives more agency and power to all of us to influence and change. (See Lisa Feldman’s Barrett’s work.) Leaders can develop an awareness that affords them the capacity to better grasp, interpret, or make sense of the complexity surrounding them – in meetings, in strategic conversations, within a change initiative, dealing strategically with unexpected changes in the political environment – to manage their responses more effectively, fostering a ‘presence’ that is both aware and adaptive.
Let’s consider an example of a professional from another field who offers a compelling example of recovering from a shocking event. Portuguese classical piano virtuoso Maria João Pires prepared the wrong concerto for a performance, only realizing her error while sitting at the grand piano in front of the audience and after the orchestra had begun playing the first bars of music of another Mozart piano concerto. Her ability to quickly recalibrate her focus from panic to performance, relying on her memory of the concerto being performed, along with her capacity for “presence,” illustrates the power of embodied presence. Despite the initial shock, her capacity for accepting in the moment, and subsequent focus on the music, allowed her to deliver a flawless performance, drawing from the energy of the audience—an interplay of awareness and responsiveness that is crucial for resilience in leadership as well. If you are curious about this event, see this video here and begin at the timestamp :42.
Leaders today face a complex array of challenges that require them to be adaptable, responsive, and aware. I have successfully worked with coaching clients to develop their executive presence – communication prowess, gravitas, capacity for listening, and authenticity — with a deeper, embodied awareness. The capacity for embodied awareness requires cultivation and practice on the part of the leader. Moving through this personal and leadership development process usually requires the scaffolding and support that an experienced and mature coach can provide via tools, heuristics, and frameworks that cultivate awareness of patterns of responses in yourself, team and your organization, for example. Or the challenge of ‘trying on’ a new behavior.
By focusing on enhancing both executive and embodied presence, we help leaders and teams develop their sense-making capabilities, a better understanding of their context (who are the players and interactions, what are the processes and practices that impact success, what experience and capabilities are relevant, etc.), and the ability to employ diverse perspectives for informed and insightful decision-making. This perspective equips leaders not only to manage crises but also to recognize opportunities for action in the present and to enable and propel the collective action required to realize objectives. We are experiencing an increasingly complex world. Our approach aims to build resilience and foster innovation, preparing leaders to navigate the complexity of the contemporary business landscape effectively.
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To learn more about building culture and executive coaching, reach out to Sandra for a consultation.