Embody Executive Presence
An Overview
Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett's expert class highlights that mastering Executive Presence—comprising gravitas, communication skills, and appearance—can bridge the gap between merit and success by enhancing how your ideas and ambitions are perceived.
Gravitas
Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett's research reveals that gravitas constitutes about two-thirds of Executive Presence, highlighting its significance in professional development, and she outlines key dimensions and signaling strategies to enhance it, such as confidence in crises and emotional intelligence.
Communication Skills
Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett emphasizes that effective communication skills, including body language and attentiveness, are crucial for developing Executive Presence, and offers questions to enhance these learnable skills in her video lesson.
Appearance
Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett emphasizes that while appearance serves as an initial filter for executive presence, gravitas and communication skills are ultimately more important, yet women face harsher scrutiny and double standards in this assessment compared to men.
Getting Professional Feedback
Sylvia Ann Hewlett highlights that unvarnished feedback from senior leaders often lacks diversity, disadvantaging young women and people of color, and suggests that professionals take ownership of the feedback process by encouraging open communication and clarifying their needs.
Effective leaders exude a self-awareness, credibility, and integrity that give them the edge to persuade others and grow their business. Although often read unconsciously, these markers have a profound impact on the level of trust others are willing to place in someone. As economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett explains, the distance between merit and success is bridged by these subtle leadership signals.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the key qualities of executive presence.
- Assess your gravitas.
- Assess your professional appearance.
- Assess your communication skills.
- Ask for the type of feedback you need.