215: Practical Tips for Building Executive Presence: What Really Works For Us As Women In Tech
Aug 27, 2024
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Dive into the essential elements of executive presence and why they matter for women in tech. Discover how to balance confidence and humility while mastering body language and mindful communication. Explore realistic strategies to foster an impactful presence, avoiding the pitfalls of arrogance. Learn from personal anecdotes and client experiences, highlighting the power of feedback and self-reflection. This discussion emphasizes authentic leadership and the importance of psychological safety within teams for enhanced career advancement.
Executive presence for women in tech hinges on the three components of appearance, communication, and gravitas, influencing career progression significantly.
Navigating the balance between confidence and humility is essential for women to build genuine executive presence without falling into arrogance.
Deep dives
The Importance of Executive Presence
Executive presence plays a crucial role in a woman's ability to have an impact and influence in the workplace. It facilitates getting more done, allows for more direct engagement, and establishes trust with colleagues and stakeholders. This presence is often overlooked as it is not formally taught, leaving women to figure it out based on the success or failure of male role models. Developing executive presence early on can be a significant advantage in career progression, accounting for up to 26% of leadership promotion decisions.
Components of Executive Presence
Executive presence is built upon three main components: appearance, communication, and gravitas. While appearance is only a small part of the overall presence, it plays an essential role in how others perceive competence. Communication encompasses both speaking and listening, ensuring that ideas are conveyed clearly and respectfully. Gravitas is vital; it involves maintaining composure under pressure and demonstrating integrity and accountability, which in turn inspires trust from others.
Confidence versus Arrogance
Women often find themselves navigating a delicate balance between confidence and arrogance in their professional interactions. While confidence is a cornerstone of executive presence, it must be tempered with humility to avoid being labeled as overbearing. Women can face additional challenges as the assertiveness exhibited by men may come across differently for them, necessitating a unique approach to showcasing confidence. Building genuine self-assurance involves body language, posture, and the ability to own one’s space and ideas without diminishing others.
The Power of Personalization and Feedback
A personalized approach to developing executive presence is crucial, as strategies effective for one individual may not work for another. Continuous self-examination and feedback seeking can help refine one's executive presence while enhancing personal leadership style. It is essential to be open to constructive criticism without becoming defensive, fostering an environment of mutual respect and continuous improvement. By learning to navigate and adapt personal habits, women can enhance their influence, leading to greater recognition and opportunities in their careers.
In today’s episode, I explore the critical link between executive presence, confidence, and the fine line between confidence and arrogance for women in tech. I break down the three key components of executive presence - appearance, communication, and gravitas - and how to leverage these pillars to build genuine confidence without falling into the trap of arrogance.
I also discuss strategies to enhance your executive presence through body language, mindful communication, and self-awareness. With real-world examples and insights, you'll learn how consistent self-examination and inviting feedback can elevate your leadership style, why executive presence is crucial for career advancement, and practical tips for cultivating it to help you flourish and thrive at work.
I dive into:
The three crucial components of executive presence
How the pillars of executive presence can help you build effective confidence
Using body language, communication & mindfulness as a female leader in tech
How to avoid the “arrogance trap” when developing your confidence
Client case studies: communicating with confidence and clarity
The relationship between gravitas and confidence
And more
**Useful links**
If you are ready to uplevel your career, get unstuck or you are simply ready to unlock those leadership time-management techniques then join us in my monthly career & leadership coaching program exclusively for women in tech: https://www.tonicollis.com/academy
Join the Leading Women in Tech community in Slack where we discuss all-the-things for women’s tech leadership, covering everything from early-career leadership to C-level executives.
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