enhancing your executive presence
By Susan L. Colantuono

Fashionistas would have you believe that “executive presence” is all about your appearance. But a study of women who have made it to the top shows that there’s no one right way to look and no simple “appearance for success.” Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, even declares that no one would consider her “fashion forward.” 

Executive presence is the ability to comfortably draw and hold attention. You need it in order to engage and align others and to deliver on your organization’s goals. It helps you be seen as credible and competent by your employees, colleagues and bosses. And while appearance is important, executive presence rests on three other factors:

1. The Language of Power
You must be able to speak the language of power in business – and that’s the language of outcomes.
Tip 1: Be able to describe how you impact the organization’s cash position, growth, profitability (yes, even if you work for a not-for-profit, there has to be a margin) and customer service and retention. And be able to report progress on your goals using the language of outcomes.

2. The Power of Language
Tip 1: Avoid words and phrases that diminish or qualify the importance of what you’re saying, e.g. “I’m not sure this is right” or “you might not agree”, “kind of” or “maybe.”

3. Non-Verbal Power
Tip 1: Carry yourself regally: with upright posture, open heart chakra and weight evenly balanced. A “spineless” posture undermines the impact of the most powerful idea!

Sex and Communication
Research has validated what many of us believe to be true, that men’s minds are frequently in the gutter…or on the battlefield. The wife and husband team of Drs. Rachel and Ruben Gur of the University of Pennsylvania have found that “Even when studied at rest…men activate more primitive parts of the limbic system that do not have access to language, whereas women activate parts of the limbic system that are adjacent to language areas.”

What does this have to do with executive presence? To find out, join me at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on December 10th. (Hint: it has nothing to do with provocative attire!)

This article is excerpted from “No Ceiling, No Walls: What women haven’t been told about leadership from career-start to the corporate boardroom” (Dec, 2009). Susan Colantuono is the CEO and founder of Leading Women and the founder of the Women’s Institute for Leadership at Bryant University. http://LeadingWomen.biz

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