How Do You Measure Up in Your Executive Presence? Take My Quiz

One of the top 5 issues leaders and aspiring leaders come to me as an Executive Coach to work on is improving their executive presence. What is executive presence? Is it something that can be learned or are you born with it?

I believe everyone can have an executive presence. To me, it is the ability to own who you are as a person/leader and display that authentically and confidentially in the workplace.

Everyone’s executive presence looks different. For some, it is a strong charismatic personality with a magnetic ‘it’ factor that draws people to follow them. Others may have an executive presence that displays a more reflective, thoughtful style of leadership. One’s body language is also a part of the executive presence package. This usually presents itself as a straight spine, standing or sitting tall, looking engaged and comfortable in their environment. This isn’t to say that someone with a strong executive presence can’t feel nervous or stressed, but it is about keeping composure in a way that is real.

How does your Executive Presence stack up? I created a fun quiz to help you reflect upon points of executive presence to consider as you think about your own leadership development plan for 2024.

Instructions: Simply, give yourself 1 point for every question you answer yes, and 0 points for any question you answer no. Questions are based on your behaviour/feelings as well as what you witness from others around you in the majority of instances.

Questions:

1. Do you feel comfortable in most of your interactions with others at work?

2. Do you speak at a relaxed pace, that avoids rambling and stumbling?

3. When you are at a networking event, do you usually find yourself with others around you?

4. When you make a presentation, are others looking engaged (eye contact, asking questions, paying attention)?

5. Have people told you that you are a role model to them?

6. Do colleagues come to you for mentoring or advice?

7. When you ask for a recommendation on Linked In, do you normally receive one?

8. When you are sitting at a meeting, is your spine straight and do you occupy your chair with a sense of openness and confidence?

9. Do you receive compliments on your style?

10. Are you able to persuade others to consider your ideas?

11. Does the CEO and Board know who you are and seem to like you?

12. Does your team follow you and seem motivated by your leadership?

13. Have you received a promotion in the last few years (Note: speed of promotion can vary based on position and organization. But often leaders with strong presence are promoted at least every 3 to 5 years)

14. Do others ask you to join them for lunch or coffee?

15. Are you comfortable being you in the workplace?

The results are in….

If you scored below 10, executive presence is an area of opportunity for you to develop. I often see in the clients I work with as an Executive Coach that there is an exciting exploration process that can occur to help the person understand who they are at this stage in their careers/lives and how to bring this with confidence and authenticity to the workplace in a way that resonates with others. It can be a fun and life-changing journey!

If you scored, 10 to 13, you have likely done some work on your executive presence and feel in a pretty good space with it. If you haven’t had a 360 assessment done in the past year, it may be time to refresh this to ensure there are no blind spots around your executive presence that you could be working on for 2024.

If you scored 14 or 15, congratulations! You have a strong executive presence! Continuing to dig deep into who you are as you evolve as a leader over time is key. COVID has changed the way we relate to others as well as the importance of vulnerability and authenticity. Continue to search for ways to bring new elements into your executive presence.

If you are interested in continuing to grow your Executive Presence, working with an Executive Coach is a great way to do that. As part of my executive coaching programs, I offer 360 assessments that help you understand your brand and presence in the workplace so you can lean into your strengths and develop key areas to be a strong leader. Visit my web site to learn more about my coaching programs to find the right fit for you, and contact me at ceo@potentialunlimited.ca to schedule a free 20-minute call!