The Three Pillars of Executive Presence

• The Three Pillars

• Executive Presence is built on three pillars: Your style, your substance, and your character.

Style

• Style Introduction

• Style is the 'how of your communication'. This section will talk about the simple techniques you can master to display your confidence, enthusiasm, and ease.

• Audience is a Mirror

• New research points to something important. We are wired to connect with, learn from, and be affected by the people around us.

• Mind/Body Connection is a Two Way Street

• The mind-body connection is a two-way street. Feeling self-assured leads to open body language and a confident voice.

• Energy

• Energy is the key to delivering your message in a way that stimulates the people around you.

• Tone

• We have a massive vocal range at our disposal but much of the time we use only a tiny percentage of it.

• Economy

• Functional MRI’s reveal that simpler language stimulates more parts of the listener’s brain than typical business waffling.

• Breathe

• Breath couldn’t be more important in our ability to communicate. It not only keeps us alive but is the fuel for a confident sounding voice.

• Clarity, Articulation, Projection, Pace

• One of the clearest signals of your presence as a leader is the vocal clarity of your message: your projection, your pace, and your articulation.

• Eye Contact and Body Focus

• 'Always look them in the eye'. We associate relaxed and sustained eye contact with people who are telling the truth.

• Body Language, Posture, Gestures, Stillness

• According to psychologist Albert Mehrabian, 55% of the impact of your communication is based on how you look.

• Practice and Preparation

• We’ve all heard the saying 'practice makes perfect'. But in this case, perfection isn’t the goal. Authenticity is…

Character

• Character Introduction

• Character is the foundation of your presence. It’s the sum total of you: your values, beliefs, talents, and formative experiences.

• Authenticity

• Authenticity is important because if we're all style, and no substance, some might say we are just an 'empty suit'.

• Emergence Arc 1 - Victories

• The path to leadership is rarely a straight line. It’s full of twists and turns, highs and lows, triumphs and challenges. This is called your Emergence Arc.

• Emergence Arc 2 - Setbacks

• Failure should be our teacher but it can be painful to look closely at. But reframing and communicating your failures can have unexpected benefits.

• Values

• When the going gets tough, we’re often fighting or fleeing and may not be in alignment with our values, as we simply try to survive the situation.

• Integrity

• Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are all in Harmony.”

Substance

• Substance Introduction

• In this section we’ll talk about the importance of Storytelling, and how to Structure a story in a way that is engaging and inspiring.

• Storytelling Structure

• This is a very hot topic in business right now. The ability to turn your message into a compelling Story is key to influencing or inspiring others to act.

• Storytelling Tools

• This film looks at some tools that will help make the story even more engaging: Sensory language, Emotional language, and I-Present Language.

• Listening

• We have to know how to listen, when to stop talking and when to take the focus off ourselves and put it onto the other person.

• Empathy

• Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another person’s shoes and to identify with the feelings they may have, and adapt your message accordingly.

• Presence in Action

• All the skills and exercises in this course are designed to build a foundation of self-awareness, self-confidence, and authenticity.

Actions

• Actions

• Thank of a leader who had a positive impact on your life, personally or professionally. How did they make you feel and what did they do to make such an impact?