Presence is important. We want it, we admire those who have it and intuitively we realise it’s a damn useful quality for success, in life and career. But why and how and who says? Isn’t hard work and ability enough? That’s certainly part of the success equation and I’ve come across some research recently which puts presence firmly in the formula for success. The Center for Talent and Innovation ran a survey and 268 senior executives identified executive presence as essential to getting ahead. “In fact, executive presence accounted for, on average, 25% of what it takes to get promoted. The study’s revelations were gleaned from 18 focus groups, nearly 4,000 college-graduate professionals and 50+ one-on-one interviews with high-level executives”. The Key findings were:
- Executive presence accounts for 26% of what it takes to get the next promotion, according to senior executives
- Gravitas — confidence, poise under pressure and decisiveness — is the core characteristic of EP, according to 67% of the 268 senior executives surveyed
- Communication telegraphs you’re leadership material, according to 28% of senior executives
- While only five percent of leaders consider appearance to be a key factor in EP, all of them recognize its potential for curtailing or derailing talented up-and-comers. Notable appearance blunders, not surprisingly, are unkempt attire (83% say it detracts from a woman’s EP, 76% say it detracts from a man’s) and, for women, too-tight or provocative clothing (73% say it detracts from a woman’s EP).
- Sounding uneducated proves a tripwire (59% say it detracts from a woman’s EP and 58% say it detracts from a man’s)
- Women and multicultural professionals tend to struggle with EP due to intrinsic tension between conforming to corporate culture and remaining true to oneself. 56% of people of color feel they are held to a stricter code around EP, compared with 31% of caucasians; 36% deliberately recast the way they tell their stories, compared with 29% of caucasians.
- For both women and people of color, feedback on EP can be hopelessly contradictory—which may be why 81% say they’re unclear as to how to act on it.
So it’s worth working on your presence and there are certainly clear components to focus on which have been further explored in my other articles. Importantly, presence can be developed and there is a strong case for doing so.
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