The Executive Presence Group has identified ten “must have” characteristics for Executive and Leadership presence. These ten core characteristics of Executive Presence are: the ability to project confidence, to have poise under pressure and be decisive, to be authentic, to be competent in your expertise and always show integrity in your actions. Also, communication — including speaking skills and the ability to read an audience or situation — is key, as is appearance.
Executive Presence also means having a clear vision and the courage to pursue what’s important. And lastly, being able to connect with people, read the room and be intelligent with your emotions — all of these characteristics contribute to a person’s perceived executive presence.
Over the next 10 weeks, I’ll give you an overview and examples of each of these ten characteristics. If you would like more information, resources and assessments about each characteristic, you will find this information described in greater detail as a member of the Executive Presence Group.
Let’s start with the first characteristic – Authenticity
“Authenticity,” as defined by psychologists Brian Goldman and Michael Kernis, is “the unimpeded operation of one’s true or core self in one’s daily enterprise.”
Being authentic requires a high level of self-awareness. Authentic people accept their strengths and weaknesses. They are accountable. They are very connected to their values and behave in ways that are consistent with those qualities. Authenticity is about being genuine and real. It allows us to connect with others because it requires us to be transparent and vulnerable.
I have found that authenticity is important when I hire people, work with them or work for them. I want to know someone for their genuineness and to see their “personality in action”. It’s difficult to be with someone who is too packaged, practiced, phony and programmed. People who know themselves add value to an organization’s culture with their openness, vulnerability, clear boundaries and honesty. Think of Oprah, Jennifer Lawrence, Diane Sawyer, Whoopi Goldberg and Mary Barra (CEO of GM). Whether we like them or not, doesn’t diminish their authenticity. We connect with them because they are genuine, predictable and consistent. They know who they are and they show up as themselves every day.
Are you showing up authentically? Here are seven signs to see if you are living your life authentically.
1. You are clear about your values
It’s hard to behave in an authentic way if you do not know what you value and desire. Knowing who you are and being comfortable with yourself is a key component. It takes time to develop informed ideas about the things you care about and to not just adopt values from others. When you are clear about your values, it sets the foundation to live those values, to stand behind them and to make decisions.
2. You are comfortable sharing your true thoughts, beliefs and opinions
Authentic people understand their perspective on life and the experiences that led them there. They easily share their “true self” with others around them in a clear and consistent manner. They have well thought out and researched thoughts and opinions.
It’s authentic to say that you disagree with your bosses new project direction because of X,Y,Z reasons. It’s not authentic to keep quiet when you disagree with your bosses direction and to not speak up when asked your opinion.
3. You embrace negative feedback
Because authenticity requires a strong sense of self, or self esteem, the stronger your self-esteem the easier it is to admit when you’re failing and to be able to receive negative feedback without it devastating you. Any failure or negative feedback, while sometimes painful, will not impact the way you think about yourself. Instead, failings, mistakes and criticism are used as learning opportunities.
It’s not authentic to apologize and defend yourself when someone gives you feedback that you don’t agree with or are embarrassed to hear. It is authentic when this same feedback is listened to, received and respected. Then you decide if it is valuable to your growth or not.
4. You freely give and receive compliments/positive feedback
It takes authenticity to accept a compliment and to see it just as that, a compliment. If the compliment is genuine, you don’t have to be modest, distrust or discount the compliment or even try to match the compliment. An authentic response to a compliment is a sincere thank you.
You also want to give positive feedback to others when it is warranted. If you’re giving positive recognition because it’s merited, it comes across as real and genuine. In this case you’re genuinely happy that somebody did well and want to let them know how they are valued.
5. You really listen when in a conversation
Genuine people focus intently in a conversation because they are truly interested in what the other person has to say. They aren’t constantly checking their smart phone for text messages or letting their mind wander off to the day’s to-do list. When people are authentic, the conversations tend to be more interesting in terms of the content and engagement.
Looking around the room or over the shoulder of the other person you are speaking with to see who else is in the meeting/room, while pretending to be engaged in a conversation is not acting in an authentic manner. If you truly want to see who is in the room, excuse yourself from the conversation and go look.
6. You keep an open mind
Authenticity flourishes when we experience the world from every perspective. Very rigid, right/wrong thinking keeps us trapped in judgment and limits our ability to be a vulnerable and authentic self. Challenge yourself to look at all sides of all situations. You may not agree with the other perspective and that is okay.
7. You know when you are not being authentic
Pay attention to those times when you are insincere in your interactions with others, or when you are acting in a way that doesn’t align with your core values. Spend time exploring what is causing you to put up barriers to your authenticity. You will feel out of sync when you are acting inauthentic. Things just don’t feel right. Pay attention to those hunches and physical sensations. They can be your instincts telling you that you are not being genuine. Notice when you “go along to get along”.
It’s authentic to tell a work colleague that you didn’t appreciate their taking credit for your idea. It’s not authentic to smile and pretend that stealing your idea doesn’t bother you, and then gossip to others about the injustice.
In summary, continue to create the “real you”. It’s too difficult to be someone you’re not. Instead, determine who you really are and what you do best, and then live that life. It’s the essence of authenticity. As Oscar Wilde famously said:
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
See you next week when we have a look at the 2nd characteristic – The importance of good communication skills.
