If you’re somebody in authourity, a personal brand, a business leader or hold any leadership position, you have an executive presence. You have the power to effect changes, make decisions and direct affairs. Your executive presence, which is your reputation forms what people think when you walk in and out of a room.
Maintaining executive presence takes time. It is built on credibility, influence and trust with followers who believe in similar visions and missions. The executive presence is not limited to top fliers, as an entry-level job applicant, your executive presence gives you a competitive advantage over other candidates. In the long run, the individual gains access to better career opportunities.
Every personal brand needs to think about its executive presence. The first step is understanding what your executive presence is all about. Then you develop a strategy and create tools that support it. These are 3 components of executive presence every personal brand should know:
1. Chosen value
You would need to ask yourself some key questions to put you on the right track like: How does your personal brand create value in the world? How does your personal brand meet a need? What is its essence? Do you save or make organisations/ individuals money to justify the cost of hiring or working or being affiliated to you? It takes knowledge, composure, confidence, resonance, and vision to get clarity and push these raised questions. However, one of the factors executive presence gravitates towards is your depth of knowledge. This is usually a function of your wealth of experience, problem-solving abilities and expertise.
2. Effective communication
Communication experts say that effective communication is two-way. There is a message, feedback and action. This completes the communication process. Most times, people listen to respond instead of understanding. When it comes to conveying your executive presence, communication includes things like your personality and your approach. You are to convey your personal brand’s message as an expert to maintain your executive presence. Some traits related to communication include authenticity, constraint, integrity, concern, and humility.
3. Appearance
People judge by the outward appearance that is why looks are important. This is how you pass the value your personal brand offers. While dressing the part is vital, you need to pay attention to your body language such as hand gestures and facial expressions as well. Style of delivery or presentation is related to your appearance. It is a representation of how you choose to convey your value. Some traits related to appearance include personal style, intentionality, inclusiveness, interactivity, and assertiveness