Everyone's obsessed with "executive presence."
My experience taught me that the harder you chase it, the faster it runs away.
Trying to "appear" executive = lacking executive presence
Trying to "sound" polished = sounding rehearsed
Trying to "look" confident = radiating insecurity
Real presence comes from forgetting about presence—and doing this instead:
- When you're fully focused on others
(Instead of how you're being perceived) - When you're solving real problems
(Instead of managing impressions) - When you're speaking hard truths
(Instead of comfortable soundbites) - When you're showing up consistently
(Instead of "turning it on" for big moments) - When you're trusting your judgment
(Instead of second-guessing yourself)
The irony? The moment you stop trying to have executive presence is the moment others start noticing yours.
Drop the act.
Do the work.
The presence follows.
Curious—what have 𝘺𝘰𝘶 learned about executive presence that you wish you knew earlier?
